Helping women gain sobriety, maintain sobriety and build skills for independent living

Women’s Residential Program 

The Women’s Residential Program is a long-term (4-6 month) program with 15 beds and is designed to treat women with a history of chronic substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health disorder. The program is dedicated to supporting and guiding women in gaining sobriety, maintaining sobriety, and building the skills needed for independent living utilizing the supports in the recovery community, as well as other community services.  

The women’s residential house was the first halfway house for women in the state of Maine and opened February 10, 1981.

To be considered for residential treatment, you must be:

Eighteen years of age or older.

Free from mood altering substances on the day of admission.

Physically and mentally able to participate in a therapeutic community environment.

Motivated for treatment.

We Accept MaineCare

We believe everyone should have access to treatment.

What does treatment consist of?

We use a combination of therapy, education, and living skill development to assist in the recovery process.  This includes: 

Substance Use Recovery: 

• Individual, family, and group substance abuse counseling
• Educational and vocational counseling
• Specialized treatment and psychiatric consultation for residents with co-occurring mental disorders
• Referrals to a variety of support services
• Participation in the 12-Step community
• Daily living skills training

Psycho-Education Groups:

• Addiction and Recovery
• Relapse Prevention Skills Training
• Insight Processing
• Community Issues
• Family Roles Education
• Skills Training Education
• Women’s Recovery

Daily Living Skills:

• Completing regularly scheduled household chores such as: meal preparation, cleaning, vacuuming, mopping floors, etc.
• Maintaining neat, clean bedrooms, with beds made daily.
• Personal laundry responsibilities.
• Practicing daily personal hygiene is required.
• Learning time management skills is an important part of keeping up with all the responsibilities, assignments, and program requirements.

Participants participate in daily meditations and house meetings.  Participants are also expected to actively take part in 12-Step Support or other support meetings and activities to build personalized recovery networks free from their active addictions.

Will I still get to see my family and children?

We believe it’s important for recovering mothers to maintain a close relationship with their children and positive family supports.  Our Women’s Residential House is decorated to be homey and welcoming.  Mothers are encouraged to take responsibility for their children with frequent visits.  We have a limited amount of toys, baby equipment, and a roll away bed for such visits.

Spouses and other family members are also encouraged to visit as long as they are clean and sober, do not present issues around safety, and are willing to comply with the program rules and regulations.

How much contact will I have with the outside world?

Recovery is much more than maintaining sobriety. Recovery involves setting goals that will foster independence, family supports, self-confidence, and a new lifestyle that will lead to success in many areas of life while maintaining a sober lifestyle.  

Community integration is an important part for residents to practice their recovery skills in actual community settings. This begins by attending recovery support activities in the community, initiating weekend passes when eligible and treatment appropriate, and employment and/or continued education. Residents are encouraged to seek and obtain volunteering opportunities or employment during their later phases of treatment to meet some of their community integration and transition needs.

Our staff includes an Integration Specialist and Client Care Coordinator who support the residents by providing area resources to continue with the recovery process during their stay and after they graduate from the program.