Two southern Maine behavioral health care providers to merge next month
Two southern Maine providers of behavioral health care services are planning to become “one,” literally, next month.
Day One, headquartered in South Portland, and Windham-based SMART Child & Family Services will merge Oct. 1 and continue operations under the Day One name, the organizations said.
Both nonprofit agencies will continue to operate from their current facilities, serving people who have substance use or mental health challenges, but will focus increasingly on family-based care, according to a news release.
No terms of the merger or information about any potential staffing changes were disclosed. The merger is pending regulatory approvals.
Day One was founded in 1973 and offers residential substance use treatment for teens at locations in New Gloucester and Hinckley, case management for children and adults, and outpatient counseling for youth, adults and families across the state in schools, correctional facilities and at the Preble Street Teen Center in Portland.
In 2018, Day One reported revenue of $4.7 million and provided services to over 1,100 individuals, according to its most recent annual report.
SMART Child & Family Services was established in 1995 as a treatment foster care agency and has since grown to include outpatient mental health counseling, home and community-based treatment, case management for children and adults, substance use services including medication-assisted treatment, and outpatient psychiatry and medication management.
Missy Cormier Dunham, Day One’s chief clinical officer, said the two agencies have been working closely together — especially during the pandemic — to strengthen their family-based care, including through telehealth services.
“As we increasingly see these diseases and their interrelated trauma impacting multiple generations of the same family, it’s clear we need to take a more family-focused approach to treatment services,” Dunham said.
“By bringing together the staff expertise, evidence-based practice and passion that exists within these two organizations, we can be more effective in breaking this deeply destructive cycle and improving the health and productivity of Maine and its citizens.”
Irena Zaburanna, board chair of SMART, said, “Day One has an incredible reputation of excellence in the community and among clinicians and shares SMART Child & Family Services’ commitment and compassion for this important and difficult work. It has been clear from our very first conversation that these two organizations are wonderful complements for one another.”
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