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The consequences are profound. Children with the most severe needs are often forced to leave the state to access care, separated from their families and natural support systems during some of the most difficult periods of their lives. Others remain stuck on waiting lists or spend extended periods in hospital emergency departments, not because they need emergency medical care, but because there is nowhere else equipped to take them. For families already navigating extraordinary challenges, the absence of specialized, in-state treatment can lead to delayed care, prolonged uncertainty, and heartbreaking separation at the very moment support is needed most. "Establishing this facility will keep these vulnerable youth closer to home and provide them with the specialized care they need," says Kristie Worster, Sweetser's Chief Program Officer. "The goal is to eventually step these youth down to less restrictive residential placements or back home for community-based treatment once their most acute needs are met in our PRTF." Answering the call When the Maine Department of Health and Human Services issued a request for a provider willing to build and operate the state's first youth PRTF, Sweetser was the only organization to step up to meet the moment. But getting the project this far took years of legislative advocacy and would not have been possible without Gov. Janet Mills, whose inclusion of capital funds in her supplemental budget helped turn a long-held vision into a reality. Sweetser is also deeply grateful to DHHS Commissioner Sara Gagné-Holmes and the Office of Behavioral Health for their partnership and guidance throughout the process. Special thanks go to Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Lori Gramlich, a tireless champion for behavioral health, and to both HHS Committee Co-Chairs Sen. Henry Ingwersen & Rep. Michele Meyer and Appropriations Committee Co-Chairs Sen. Peggy Rotundo & Rep. Drew Gattine, whose leadership helped move the project forward through bipartisan committee support and legislative action. "Without Governor Janet Mills steadfast leadership, without the bipartisan support from the legislature, we would not be breaking ground on this facility," says Justin Chenette, Sweetser's Chief Communications Officer. "Their commitment to Maine's next generation ensures that this building will stand as a very tangible reminder that no one in our state, no Maine family, has to carry the weight of mental health challenges alone." Hope under construction This past June, Sweetser marked the official start of construction with a groundbreaking ceremony on its Saco campus. Gov. Mills, state legislative leaders, DHHS Commissioner, local officials, community partners, and major corporate supporters joined Sweetser leadership to celebrate a project years in the making. Construction is now underway and expected to continue through the rest of 2026 and well into 2027, transforming an existing 8,000-square-foot building on the Saco campus into a secure, trauma-informed, 16-bed residential facility. The finished facility will include a basketball court, sensory rooms, and activity spaces designed around the needs of children and adolescents with the highest level of psychiatric need. A free family apartment on campus will let parents stay close and remain part of their child's care during treatment stays expected to last approximately nine months. Sweetser is targeting an opening in the second quarter of 2027. Partners in Hope: closing the funding gap The project carries a total cost of $7.9 million. With the state's $5.4 million investment in place, Sweetser launched its Build Hope Capital Campaign to raise the remaining $2.5 million from individuals, businesses, and foundations. The campaign has raised more than $500,000 toward that goal. M a i n e C o m m u n i t y B a n k stepped forward with a $100,000 commitment to become the facility's naming-rights sponsor. Additional corporate partners recognized at the groundbreaking include Unum, Systems Engineering, Central Maine Power, CGI, Saco & Biddeford Savings, Paquin & Carroll Insurance, Clark Insurance, Mascoma Bank, and Strategic Media. Sweetser is continuing to seek individual and corporate support to close the remaining funding gap and match the state's construction dollars. Those interested in becoming a Partner in Hope can visit Sweetser.org/ BuildHope or email giving@sweetser.org. " This building is not about wood and concrete. It is about children. It is about a young person experiencing overwhelming anxiety who needs a safe place to heal, a teenager struggling with depression who needs hope restored, and families who have spent sleepless nights searching for help and wondering where to turn." — Jayne Van Bramer, Sweetser President & CEO S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T

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