PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Aroostook Mental Health Services, Inc. and its consortium members conducted a community needs assessment focused on substance use in Aroostook County earlier this year. The assessment was funded by a Health Resources Services Administration Rural Community Opioid Response Planning Implementation III grant, which aims to reduce the morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder, including opioid use disorder.
“AMHC and its consortium members completed the last substance use needs assessment in 2020,” explained Debra Jacques, AMHC director of marketing and development and project director for the grant. “A great deal has taken place since then and it was time for an update. We had a record 547 responses to the online community survey, and several focus groups included individuals in recovery, youth, healthcare and law enforcement. Our goal was to hear from as many individuals as possible from northern, central, and southern Aroostook about what is working and not working as we address the substance use crisis in our communities.”
With the number of overdose deaths in Aroostook County rising from 14 in 2019 to 39 in 2023 (a 179 percent increase), learning how the community feels about the substance use epidemic can inform what services and resources to offer. The Community Health Needs Assessment provides updated findings on people’s thoughts about alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, and substance use disorder in Aroostook County. The overall sentiment from survey respondents and focus group participants was that while positive strides have been made in addressing the county’s SUD epidemic, there are still unmet needs.
Priority areas include: youth engagement, workforce shortages, expansion of recovery services and education on how to access naloxone and reduce stigma.
AMHC and its consortium members, Northern Maine Medical Center, Mi’kmaq Health Center, Northern Light A.R. Gould Hospital, Houlton Regional Hospital and the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office, appreciate the partnership with the University of New England in developing and completing the assessment.
The 2024 Community Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis Update is available at ShareFactsSaveLives.org/Publications. For more information, please contact Deb Jacques at djacques@amhc.org.
This material is supported by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under grant #GA1RH42873-01-00. The information, conclusions, and opinions expressed in this product are those of the authors, and no endorsement by FORHP, HRSA or HHS is intended or should be inferred.
With 60 years of dedicated service, AMHC has become the largest behavioral healthcare provider in the region, operating 27 service locations across Aroostook, Hancock and Washington counties. The agency annually supports up to 5,500 clientele, with a team of 350-plus employees delivering a comprehensive range of services in mental health, substance use, crisis, sexual assault, prevention, brain injury, and programs for adults with intellectual disabilities. Guided by our mission, we strive to provide integrated healthcare services that empower individuals to recover and enhance their overall quality of life.
