One of Bangor’s largest recovery organizations is looking for new revenue sources after losing funding from the state it has relied on for nearly a decade.
For the first time since 2016, the Together Place did not receive the pot of state funding it needed to operate its Peer Run Recovery Center, located at 2 Second St. in Bangor.
To compensate for the roughly $300,000 loss, the organization is building a plan to apply for opioid settlement money, or funds the state collects from litigation with companies accused of contributing to the opioid crisis, according to Joseph Hartel, who will take on the role of interim executive director of the Together Place next week.
Founded in 1981, the Together Place aims to provide mental health and substance use recovery resources, usually led by people with first-hand experience. These numerous peer-run recovery groups focus on everything from coping with depression and anxiety to anger management.
The organization serves anywhere from 300 to 500 people every month and offers support to many of the city’s most vulnerable residents. The Together Place’s resources became especially important following the closure earlier this year of the Health Equity Alliance, which also offered support for those experiencing homelessness, substance use disorder and other challenges.
Together Place is looking for other grants to apply for and may seek donations from the community in order to support its programs, Hartel said.
It’s also looking at ways its existing programs that offer connections to employment and low-cost hot meals can generate more revenue, he said.
While Together Place leaders are still forming the organization’s budget and developing ideas for how programs could generate more revenue, Hartel said they’d like to fill the gap left when the Health Equity Alliance closed its community center late last year.
That center offered those grappling with homelessness, substance use and mental health issues a safe place to spend time and easily access resources. The Together Place saw “an uptick in activity” when that resource shuttered, Hartel said.
The organization has also appealed the state’s denial of funding, he said.
The Together Place is governed by two boards, according to the organization’s website. The Maine Mental Health Connections board acts as the fiscal agent while the Together Place Peer Run Recovery Center board manages the center’s daily operations.
Together Place Housing Inc., managed by Maine Mental Health Connections, also offers a nine-unit housing co-operative in Bangor run by and for low-income adults who are receiving mental health treatment, the organization’s website states.
The organization has no plans to close, reduce programming or cut staff as a result of this funding loss, according to Rep. Laura Supica, D-Bangor, who is also president of the Maine Mental Health Connections board.