Milestone Recovery is expanding access to addiction treatment in southern Maine by purchasing a building in Portland and nearly doubling its detox bed capacity.
The expansion “will increase the number of beds in the program from 16 to 30, greatly expanding the ability of insured and underinsured Mainers to access treatment for substance use disorders,” according to a Milestone news release. “In 2022, fatal overdoses in Maine reached a record high of 716, and non-fatal overdoses numbered nearly 10,000.”
Milestone is spending $3.1 million on the expansion, including $2.1 million from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. The money is being used to purchase and renovate 10-12 Andover Road in Portland.
The detox center is used to manage the “painful, often debilitating symptoms of withdrawal from alcohol, opioids, and other addictive substances.” There are now 26 detox beds available to Medicaid or uninsured patients in the state. The Milestone expansion is expected to be completed in 2024.
“We’re thrilled to have taken this major step in easing access to substance use treatment for our most vulnerable Mainers,” said Tom Doherty, executive director of Milestone. “It takes a lot of courage for someone to ask for help overcoming a substance use disorder, and it’s heartbreaking when we have to tell them no because there’s no space in the program. This step will let us say yes more often.”
Milestone is a Portland nonprofit that treats Maine people experiencing substance use disorder and homelessness.
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