Sitting at a table at the Recuperative Care Program (RCP), Brian lays out pages of his art. “I’m working on making a children’s coloring book,” he says. Most of the pieces he has laid out are of captivating coastal scenes featuring birds, boats, and buoys. The longer you look at each page, the more you’ll … Read more
Preble Street staff are #CompassionInAction, and we want you to get to know them! This month we’re introducing you to Caitlin Tobin, 1st Shift Case Manager at the Recuperative Care Program. Name, title, and program: Cait Tobin, Case Manager, Recuperative Care Program (RCP) How long have you worked at Preble Street? I’ve been here for … Read more
For more than 400,000 Mainers, Medicaid (also known as MaineCare) is a vital support that helps people stay healthy, housed, and fed. Whether it’s someone managing a chronic illness, a parent struggling to make ends meet, or an individual experiencing homelessness, Medicaid helps keep people from slipping further into crisis. But proposed cuts and new … Read more
People who are homeless experience severe physical and mental health outcomes, facing many barriers to accessing healthcare and treatment. These barriers can include things like the high cost of care, a lack of insurance, distance or transportation, and even prejudice from the medical community. The MaineHealth-Preble Street Learning Collaborative (MH-PSLC) is a low-barrier, walk-in medical clinic in … Read more
Art, books, and inspiring messages are found inside and on the walls at Maine’s first recuperative care program. Picture this… you’ve endured a difficult surgery or have had a life-threatening illness or injury. You’re about to embark on a long recovery process, and will soon be discharged from the hospital and have nowhere to go … Read more
National data from Harvard Medical School show that mobile health clinics are money savers that connect people to preventative care and outpatient services. Across the country, mobile clinics have reduced emergency department visits, returned money to communities, and saved lives. On July 1, MaineHealth launched their very own mobile health clinic, called the CONNECT Outreach Van. The CONNECT … Read more
“You can be the best doctor in the world… have a photographic memory and memorize every type of medication. But, if your patients aren’t getting their basic needs met outside of the clinical environment, if they don’t have housing or shelter, if they don’t have access to food, it’s really, really hard to treat them … Read more
“I am a human being. Part of my job, part of being alive, is making sure others are, too.” Joe Kreisler, Preble Street Founder Every ten days, a client at one of Preble Street’s programs experiences an overdose. Preble Street staff respond to these overdoses, reversing as many as possible, saving lives, and compassionately utilizing … Read more
For 14 years, Kabir was homeless in Portland. But today, he is safely housed at Logan Place, Maine’s first Site-based Housing First program which opened 19 years ago. Kabir’s time on the streets was tough. “There is no break when you’re homeless. There’s no door to close,” he shared. Living outside led to numerous health … Read more
What does a low-barrier shelter look like? At a time when unsheltered homelessness is increasing exponentially in our community and the shortage of low-barrier shelter beds has created a state-wide homelessness crisis, Elena’s Way and Florence House are a model for how we can take care of the most vulnerable people in our community. The … Read more