The University of Maine is launching a new program to expand the state’s behavioral health workforce in response to Maine’s youth mental health crisis. According to the 2023 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, 32.7% of adolescents reported symptoms of depression and 21.8% considered suicide. The program, funded by a grant from the John T. Gorman Foundation, a Portland-based nonprofit, aims to increase access to treatment by training graduate students and clinicians in evidence-based mental health interventions.
Training and Approach
Graduate students and clinicians at UMaine will be trained in the Modular Approach to Therapy for Children (MATCH), a mental health intervention for youth ages six to 17. MATCH treats anxiety, depression, PTSD, and behavioral issues, and its approach has shown to improve outcomes and reduce provider burnout. The project, titled “Expanding the Maine Youth Behavioral Health Workforce: Integrating Evidence-Based Practice into Graduate Training,” is a collaborative effort between Jennifer Blossom, assistant professor of psychology in clinical psychology; Elizabeth Armstrong, associate professor and director of the School of Social Work; and Liam Shaw, manager of Outpatient Pediatric Behavioral Health at MaineGeneral Medical Center.
According to Blossom, “Using a flexible and scientifically-supported program like MATCH is key to addressing our state’s youth mental health crisis. By using MATCH, youth and families can get connected to care that actually works—meaning they will see improvements much faster and as a result spend less time in treatment and more time doing the things they want to do.”
Expected Impact
The project will embed evidence-based training into graduate social work curricula at UMaine. Up to 30 students will complete MATCH training and will each see four to six clients during their field placements. Nearly 100 Maine youth will receive specialized treatment during the grant period. Access to treatment remains limited due to a shortage of trained providers, high turnover, and systemic barriers such as lack of insurance and transportation.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://umaine.edu/news/blog/2025/05/22/new-umaine-program-to-address-state-mental-health-crisis-among-youth/