Hope in Recovery

Last year, 631 Mainers died of overdoses, and according to the Maine Overdose Report, the number of fatal overdoses so far this year are 9.7% higher. We know that people experiencing homelessness are particularly vulnerable to substance use disorder. We know that leaving them to struggle with this disease on their own is a death … Read more

Mental Health and Homelessness

Behind the struggles faced by many of the people Preble Street serves are fundamentally broken mental health and shelter systems. Living in high-stress situations on the streets or in crowded shelters with limited access to treatment makes people experiencing homelessness particularly vulnerable to chronic mental health issues and co-occurring substance use disorders. Earlier this month, … Read more

MMC-Preble Street Learning Collaborative marks 5 years of serving our community!

People experiencing homelessness face devastating physical and mental health consequences and higher rates of chronic illness than their peers who are housed. Yet, they also face higher barriers to accessing critical healthcare and treatment. To address these issues in Portland, Preble Street, Maine Medical Center (MMC), and community partners opened the MMC-Preble Street Learning Collaborative … Read more

COVID-19 Health Equity

As our neighbors experiencing homelessness struggle to survive and meet their basic needs each day, finding time to get a COVID-19 vaccination often falls to the wayside. While these individuals care deeply about their health, there are often just too many barriers in place for them to get even the most basic medical care. “It’s … Read more

Approximately 200 Preble Street clients received COVID-19 vaccinations last week

From Bangor Daily News: Health care and social service providers have teamed up to vaccinate “close to 200” clients against the virus. Many of them have experienced homelessness during the pandemic and weathered outbreaks within the city’s emergency shelter system. The ongoing vaccination effort has been led by Preble Street, Greater Portland Health and Homeless … Read more

Opioid crisis response needs to help the most vulnerable

Dr. Ann Marie Lemire, medical director of the Cumberland County Jail, could have given lawmakers a raft of statistics. Instead, she told them a story. About five weeks ago, a man near the end of his sentence was desperately afraid of what his release would mean. He was homeless and was worried that once he was … Read more

MMC joins with Preble Street to provide health care for homeless

Maine Medical Center and Preble Street have joined forces to ensure the most vulnerable underserved people in Portland have access to quality, barrier-free health care. The MMC-Preble Street Learning Collaborative seeks to help fill the void left by the closing of the City of Portland Healthcare for the Homeless Clinic in 2014, provide no-barrier access … Read more