Partners for Healthier Communities

Our substance use prevention team focuses on preventing the initiation of substance use and high-risk substance use, to reduce incidences of substance use disorder and drug-related overdose deaths by building collaborative community partnerships with youth, parents, schools, local law enforcement, workplaces and other stakeholders.

Substance use prevention coalition

Our substance use prevention coalition is a community‑based partnership that brings together local organizations, schools, health providers, law enforcement, legislators, youth, parents and community members to work on shared goals. The group meets monthly and is always open to new members. Please reach out to stephanie.mastersplamondon@mainehealth.org if you are interested in being part of our coalition.

Programs and services include: 

• Safe storage initiative
  • Accessibility is a major contributing factor to the misuse of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications.
  • By providing lockboxes and education around safe storage and disposal of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications, we are working to decrease the number of prescription and OTC medications diverted from their intended use and disseminate information on safe storage and safe medication disposal.
  • Lockboxes can be obtained by visiting select community and school events and by request.
• Responsible beverage service trainings
  • To prevent the sale of alcohol to minors and being served to at-risk or intoxicated individuals, PHC offers state-approved training that teaches alcohol servers & sellers how to check IDs correctly and serve responsibly.
• Policy, systems & environment tools
  • We work with schools, youth-serving organizations, municipalities, businesses and more. Reach out for more information.

Community resources

• Workplaces
• Alcohol Misuse Prevention 
• Cannabis & Health
• Screen Time Guidelines
• Children and Screens
• Mental Health Matters to ME - You are Not Alone
• Suicide Prevention

Our tobacco prevention team works to prevent the initiation of commercial tobacco use, reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and increase access to effective tobacco treatment services. This work includes providing policy support across a variety of settings, including guidance on policy development, language, enforcement, signage and implementation.

We partner with schools to offer alternative‑to‑suspension programs that are supportive and educational, rather than punitive. We also provide resources and technical assistance to youth‑serving organizations, early care and education programs, health care providers, landlords and housing partners, worksites, municipalities and other community stakeholders.

Tobacco prevention programs and services include: 

• Evidence-based school curriculums
• Policy, systems & environment tools
  • We support communities in developing, implementing, and enforcing tobacco-free policies by providing guidance and technical assistance tailored to a variety of settings, including municipalities, health care facilities, businesses, organizations and public spaces such as parks. Our team can help organizations navigate the policy process from drafting to adoption, offer strategies for effective enforcement and provide resources to ensure successful implementation. Additionally, we provide free tobacco-free signage to help clearly communicate and promote smoke-free and tobacco-free environments, reinforcing a culture of health and compliance across all participating sites.
• Tobacco cessation & treatment
  • Maine QuitLink
  • My Life My Quit Youth Cessation Program
  • Baby & ME Tobacco Free Program
  • High School Treatment Efforts

Community resources

• Center for Tobacco Independence (CTI Maine)
• American Lung Association
• Truth Initiative
• Stanford Tobacco Prevention Toolkit
• CATCH My Breath
• Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Our healthy eating & active living team (HEAL) works within York County on healthy eating, active living and breastfeeding policies, systems, and environmental changes to help make the healthy choice the easy choice. The scope of this work includes partnering with schools, school nutrition programs, early care and education programs, out of school programs, parks and recreation departments, worksites, and supporting coalitions and community programs.

Health eating and active living programs and services include:

School engagement

• District wellness
  • We work alongside school district wellness committees throughout York County to strengthen school environments that support healthy eating and physical activity. Through ongoing guidance and partnership, we help schools implement sustainable changes that make it easier for students and staff to build healthy habits every day.
• School nutrition workgroup
  • The HEAL team works alongside school nutrition programs to enhance the quality, accessibility and appeal of school meals for all students. Our school nutrition workgroup brings together partners from across districts to share ideas, address challenges and advance strategies that support healthier school food environments.
• Community resources
  • WellSAT Home Page
  • Let’s Go!
  • Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Early childhood education

• We partner with early care and education (ECE) programs across York County to support healthy eating and active living for young children. By providing guidance, resources, and training, we help programs implement policies and practices that create nurturing environments where healthy habits can begin early.
• We actively participate in the York County Early Childhood Coalition, which brings together partners to support early childhood professionals and systems. The coalition hosts an annual conference for educators working with children from birth to age eight, offering valuable professional development opportunities and continuing education credits.
• Community resources
  • GoNAPSACC
  • Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network | Promoting and supporting professionalism in the early care and education field
  • Maine AEYC
  • About the Physical Activity Learning Sessions (PALS) | Healthy Kids, Healthy Future

Healthy food access

• Our HEAL team coordinates the York County Food Council, bringing together community partners to address food access and strengthen the local food system. Together, we work to identify gaps, align efforts, and support initiatives that make healthy, local food more accessible to everyone in our communities. Learn more about the York County Food Council on our Facebook page.
• Community resources
  • York County Food Council
  • Produce Prescription
  • Find Food Help
  • Maine Food Access Map
  • Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets
  • Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition
  • Nourish York County Brochure
  • USDA Programs Monitored by Maine Department of Education

Physical activity

• Our HEAL team works to expand opportunities for physical activity across York County by partnering with communities to create engaging, accessible spaces for movement. We offer resources such as physical activity stencils and Story Walks, which have been used in parks, childcare programs, schools and libraries to encourage active play and make movement a natural part of everyday environments. Contact us for more information.
• Community resources
  • Maine Trail Finder
  • York County Physical Activity Resource Guide
  • Active People, Healthy Nation

Breastfeeding resources

• Pregnancy, Breastfeeding and Infant Support Brochure
• Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition
• Family Birth Center | Maine Medical Center Biddeford
• Return to Work Toolkit 
• Lactation-Friendly Workplaces Recognition Program 

Worksite wellness

• We work alongside employers to create healthier workplace environments that make it easier for staff to eat well and stay active throughout the day. By offering guidance and technical assistance, including use of the Healthy Us Scorecard, we support organizations in building practical, lasting changes that prioritize employee health.
• Community resources
  • Let's Go! for Workplaces
  • CEO Pledge for Physical Activity

Other resources

• 211
• MaineHealth Findhelp is an online directory that lists free or reduced-cost services like medical care, food, housing and more. It is anonymous and confidential. Find help.

Maine integrated youth health survey 

The Maine integrated youth health survey (MIYHS) is the result of collaboration between the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Department of Education. Its purpose is to quantify the health-related behaviors and attitudes of 5th through 12th graders by direct student survey. For information on substance-use and health-related statistics among Maine’s 5th-12th grade students, visit https://data.mainepublichealth.gov/miyhs/home

Public service announcements

To raise awareness about youth use of drugs and alcohol, PHC has partnered with a local youth-led film club through Sanford’s SRTC program to develop and air public service announcements. These messages cover a variety of substance-related topics, including cannabis consumption among youth and parental messages around alcohol consumption.

Youth partners

• Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN)
• Maine Youth Thriving (MyT)

Mental health and well-being resources:

• SHAW Challenge
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)