Maine Behavioral Healthcare

From left to right: Betsy Oakleaf, Stacy Davis, Lisa Howell, Tierney Lynch, and Seth Adams

Lunder Family Alliance

Lunder Family Alliance

Integrated peer, family and vocational support services

Any moment in treatment, whether it is a hospital admission or an outpatient counseling session, can be an important step towards recovery. The goal of the Lunder Family Alliance (LFA) is to support clients and their families to increase the chances of substance use recovery.

The LFA is a unique, integrated program for people ages 18-30 that compliments traditional substance use treatment with vocational, peer and family support. During the recovery process, young adults may face the loss of a job, experience stress over a hospital stay, and perceived loss of friends; while their families can have many questions not easily answered by providers.

Thanks to our generous donors, including the Lunder Foundation and the Lunder and Purdy families, the LFA offers support through integrated family navigators, peer support specialists and vocational support specialists. Services are offered at Spring Harbor Hospital and to eligible people receiving treatment in the community.

For more information about LFA services please call 207-661-6131.

A Parent's Story

Susan Stover talks about the support her family received from the Lunder Family Alliance after her son was hospitalized.

Our Comprehensive Approach

All patients at Spring Harbor Hospital are eligible to receive services through the Lunder Family Alliance. The Inpatient Lunder Family Alliance team will be available to patients and their families to provide support and collaboration with the treatment team.

What to expect from the Inpatient Lunder team:

The Purdy Hospital Family Navigator

Families often face the burden of being the “shadow mental health system” – frustrated by dealing unexpected behaviors from people they no longer know and are ill-equipped to deal with the frequent crises they face or illnesses they know little about.

Your loved one has their own social worker working with them while they are inpatient at Spring Harbor Hospital; the Family Navigator is a social worker dedicated to supporting you (the care-giver), during your loved one's hospitalization and for 30 days after discharge. Our goal is to eliminate barriers between a family and their understanding of the issues and changes happening in their lives.

The Hospital Family Navigator will:

  • Conduct a thorough assessment of the family’s needs
  • Work with patients’ families to address any issues, fears or challenges
  • Provide one-on-one support, resources, and education for families to address concern
  • Provide a warm hand-off to the next level of care and outside care coordination
  • Guide patients and families through community resource options

Family Education

Family members will be encouraged to participate in our family education curriculum to better prepare them in understanding and supporting their family member upon discharge and in the home. The Family Navigator will work also with families to create a curriculum based on their individual circumstances.

Family education topics will include:

  • Participants' emotion responses to the impact of mental illness on their lives
  • How to communicate with a family member's care team
  • What to expect after discharge
  • How to interact with a person during an aggressive or psychotic episode
  • How to de-escalate the behavior

Employment Specialists

Embedded at Spring Harbor Hospital the employment specialists can support individuals with:

  • Setting employment goals to help find a job.
    • This may include vocational assessments, exploring different types of careers, writing a resume and cover letter, and getting ready for interviews.
  • Offering support and guidance after you have been hired for a new job.
    • Navigating workplace culture, cultivating social skills, and other work-related advice.
  • Understanding and using employment benefits.
  • Exploring and using resources for vocational training, continuing education, financial aid and other strategies for success.

Peer Services

While in the hospital, the peer support specialist will provide an introduction to Intentional peer support and what is it. You may meet with a Peer Support Specialist in person, or in a group, to learn more about what they can offer. There are Peer services all around the State so where ever you live, if you are interested you can connect to Peer Services.

The Lunder Community Alliance services are available to clients aged 18-30, and their families, who have either been discharged from Spring Harbor Hospital or who are receiving services at the Portland clinic or McGeachy Hall. The services are offered either in person or via telehealth. While the services are very similar to those in the hospital, there is one difference: There is no time limit, you and your family can receive the support for as long as needed. A referral is needed by your mental health professional to access the service. If you are interested, or as a family member simply ask the provider to make a referral.

What to expect:

The Community Family Navigator

The Family Navigator will:

  • Ask the family what they need.
  • Work family, or friends to address any issues, fears or challenges.
  • Provide one-on-one support for individuals, and support for the whole family.
  • Provide information about illnesses, types of treatment and the mental health system.
  • Offer family sessions with or without the person receiving treatment.
  • When appropriate, coordinate with other treatment providers and community supports.
  • Problem solve with the family, and respect their wishes.
  • Use a strength based, empowering perspective that encourages self-care.

The Employment Specialist

Employment Specialists

There is no intervention more inclusive than employment. Evidence shows that the sooner the hospitalized psychiatric client receives regular routines and realizes her or his own abilities - including securing and sustaining meaningful employment and making a contribution to his or her own community – the faster he or she engages in recovery.

Maine Behavioral Healthcare community employment specialist can support individuals with:

  • Setting employment goals to help find a job.
    • This may include vocational assessments, exploring different types of careers, writing a resume and cover letter, and getting ready for interviews.
  • Offering support and guidance after you have been hired for a new job.
    • Navigating workplace culture, cultivating social skills, and other work-related advice.
  • Understanding and using employment benefits.
  • Exploring and using resources for vocational training, continuing education, financial aid and other strategies for success

Peer Community Partner

The Peer Community partner personally identifies with significant mental health, substance use or other life challenges and can use these past experiences to build a trusting relationship with each client. Peer Community Partners connect with clients to share experiences, work on setting boundaries, explore opportunities for connection in the community, and most importantly, to provide validation.

The Lunder Family Alliance Peer Community Partner works with clients out of the Lancaster Street location.

Message from a Grateful Aunt

"[The Purdy Family Navigator] was absolutely wonderful and the most helpful/empathetic health care provider I've come into contact with during my nephew's recent hospitalization. The role she serves in invaluable!"

Betsy Oakleaf2

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