LincolnHealth

The Coulombe Center for Health Improvement

Since its creation in 2015 and thanks to the generosity of donors, Paul and Giselaine Coulombe, LincolnHealth’s Coulombe Center for Health Improvement has evolved to be recognized as a leader in improving the health and well-being of the communities of Lincoln County; through both programming and collaboration with many partners. The center believes in a community health model focused on health promotion, disease prevention and community engagement, through supplementing and supporting other initiatives without duplication.

The Coulombe Center for Health Improvement connects the local health care system, LincolnHealth, to community members to help solve everyday challenges and improve their lives. The Center focuses on emotional wellbeing and resilience building, food insecurity, access to resources and substance abuse prevention and recovery. The work is done in collaboration with fellow nonprofit organizations, doctors and other health care professionals, local law enforcement, teachers, education staff and community leaders. The Coulombe Center for Health Improvement is located on the St. Andrews campus in Boothbay Harbor, though most of our work happens in our communities.

Contact Us

Coulombe Center
6 St. Andrews Lane
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538
Phone: 207-633-1542

Working in conjunction with already-established community efforts and emerging initiatives, the Coulombe Center focuses on realizing the greatest benefit possible by identifying synergies and providing resources where gaps currently exist.

Some of the Coulombe Center’s community partners include:

  • Civic organizations
  • Boothbay Region Community Resource Council
  • Boothbay Region YMCA
  • Central Lincoln County YMCA
  • Healthy Lincoln County
  • Law enforcement
  • LincolnHealth physicians, nurses and administration
  • Maine Behavioral Healthcare
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Maine
  • School districts

The Coulombe Center works to improve the emotional health and wellbeing of community members and ensure they have the necessary skills to bounce back from hardship and everyday challenges of modern life. This is done by:

Making behavioral health services easily accessible by high school students – The Coulombe Center has significantly increased access to mental health services by funding two part-time integrated behavioral health clinicians at Lincoln Academy and the Boothbay Region High School.

Bringing mindfulness and resilience training opportunities close to home – The Coulombe Center has brought evidence-based mindfulness trainings, which help improve overall health and wellbeing, to Lincoln County at significantly reduced rates. Trainings have targeted those who will have the most direct impact on the community, including doctors and other healthcare professionals, teachers and education staff. Training opportunities have also been made available for parents and community members.

Recent Mindfulness Trainings:

  • Cultivating Resilience: The Heart and Science of Well-Being for Healthcare Professionals, daylong workshop
  • Six-Week Mindfulness in Education Course – Open to teachers and education staff in Lincoln County
  • Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course – Open to Community Members
  • Mindful Technology Use – For parents and legal guardians in Lincoln County

Funding a Survivors of Suicide Support Group – To help community members who are grieving a loss to suicide, the Coulombe Center has partnered with a local therapist, who specializes in grief, to offer a six-week survivors of suicide support group periodically throughout a year, free of charge. The group was initiated by the local Hope & Resiliency Coalition, and continued by the Coulombe Center through coordination and financial support.

Food security and access to resources for vulnerable populations has been a focus area for the Coulombe Center since its inception. Our earliest project brought the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Meals program to the Boothbay Region in the summer of 2015. Under the leadership of another local non-profit, the program continues to thrive as our partner, with Coulombe Center staff providing support and guidance.

The Coulombe Center continues to help increase amount of community members who have access to USDA food and nutrition programs by encouraging applications to these programs.

The Coulombe Center for Health Improvement has played a vital role in making treatment for opioid use disorder, specifically Integrated Medication Assistance Treatment, more available and easier to access in Lincoln County. This has been accomplished by increasing the number of providers in Lincoln County who offer IMAT, providing stigma training to staff at LincolnHealth and community members and helping the emergency department become a starting point for people seeking recovery and more.

This substance abuse prevention and recovery work has been done in collaboration with dedicated community members and groups, including the Boothbay Region Community Resource Council, the Lincoln County Recovery Collaborative, local law enforcement, LincolnHealth doctors, leaders and clinicians; and concerned community members.

The Coulombe Center Award for Innovation was created in 2018 to highlight community partner organizations who are doing innovative work within Lincoln County. The selected organizations provide services or perform activities that align with the mission of the Coulombe Center for Health Improvement and look to improve the health of those living and working in Lincoln County.

Award winners are honored at a recognition event each spring and receive funds to help further develop their program.

View or download the nomination form. Nominations are accepted through April 15 of each year.

Past Recipients:
2019 - Megan Taft and Sara Cawthon, Co-Founders, Twin Village Food Bank Farm
2018 - Haley Bezon, Founder, Hearty Roots