BANGOR — Angela Fileccia, LCSW, director of Healthy Life Resources, a service of Northern Light Acadia Hospital, has been awarded the prestigious Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award by the University of Maine School of Social Work to recognize both accomplishments and leadership in the field of social work.
Fileccia’s prolific 20-year career in mental health has spanned the breadth of social work. She has worked with children, adults, and elders in community-based settings and in psychiatric and medical hospitals, providing inpatient, acute psychotherapy and care transition planning to patients with severe and persistent mental illness and substance use disorders.
As the director of Healthy Life Resources, Fileccia has been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic providing critical services to many on the importance of resiliency, self-care, and wellness. The nominator explains “Angela has provided practical and life-saving advice and strategies to stay well and grounded during these challenging times. For more than a year, she has offered weekly check-ins, crisis debriefings, and leader support to Northern Light Health teams. Angela also partners with media outlets to discuss the pandemic’s impacts on behavioral health, and she regularly appears as a guest panelist for the Northern Light Health bi-weekly Business to Business webinar series. Angela also conducts direct instruction and training sessions to healthcare organizations, community agencies, and local groups and organizations all over Maine. Her work is essential, and she has been a fantastic advocate for our staff and individuals working on the front lines of this pandemic.”
“The critical role social work professionals play is more evident now than ever,” says Sandra Butler, PhD, professor, and director of the University of Maine School of Social Work. “Healthcare organizations, schools, and community agencies are drawing on social workers’ unique skills to help patients and families through the COVID-19 outbreak. Angela is a shining example of how our alumni are truly leaders in their field.”
Fileccia earned her master’s degree in social work from the University in 2001 and says that social work is an incredibly rewarding and diverse field that she hopes more students will consider.
“Nothing has brought the importance of social work and mental health into the public conversation like the pandemic,” reflects Fileccia. “My time at the University of Maine prepared me for all of the ways I have been able to support our communities for the last 20 years, lead through a global pandemic, and face whatever comes next. This award from the School of Social Work is an honor and incredibly meaningful coming from a group of peers and faculty I admire so much.”
Fileccia serves on the Maine Board of Social Work Licensure, is the co-chair of the Northern Light Acadia Hospital Ethics Committee, is active in local and national politics, and is a strong supporter of women’s issues, LGBTQ+ equality and in combating healthcare disparities within marginalized communities.
The University of Maine School of Social Work established the Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award 22 years ago to recognize alumni and their contributions to their field and communities. This award highlights the importance of Maine’s social workers who provide evidence-based behavioral, social-emotional, and mental health services.
Healthy Life Resources is a comprehensive, coordinated, and actionable set of supports for employers to promote a strong and functional workforce. The program offers comprehensive and holistic mental wellness consultation, education, coaching, and data analysis using population health strategies and initiatives. Learn more at northernlighthealth.org/HLR.
Northern Light Acadia Hospital is a psychiatric hospital in Bangor, Maine, providing inpatient and outpatient behavioral healthcare for children, teens, and adults specializing in mental illness and substance abuse treatment. For nearly 30 years, we have been offering a full continuum of mental health services. Learn more at northernlighthealth.org/Acadia-Hospital.