In this week’s episode of NAMI Maine Talks, join Hannah Longley and guests discussing the importance and responsibilities of Crisis Intervention Teams. Learn about how this program was first created and why it has been implemented in police departments nationwide. Also, listen and discover how Chief Lully has found success with bringing this program to Maine police!

Host: Hannah Longley, LCSW (Director of Advocacy & Crisis Interventions at NAMI Maine)

Special Guests: Pat McKenzie, LCSW (Chief Clinical Development Officer of Kennebec Behavioral Health) & Kevin Lully (Police Chief of Augusta Maine)

CIT is a collaborative approach to support individuals in the community struggling with a mental health challenge or crisis. The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program develops a network of relationships between law enforcement, mental health providers, peers, families, and advocates to effectively produce a community-wide crisis response.
Law enforcement takes on a supportive role to the mental health system by connecting individuals to community resources, reducing injuries and trauma to individuals experiencing a crisis, while diverting them from the criminal justice system.

Learn More (Helpful Links):

NAMI Maine’s CIT Program - https://namimaine.org/programs/crisis-intervention-team-program/

Upcoming Maine Mental Health Trainings - https://namimaine.org/events/

Mental Health Matters To ME - NEWS - https://namimaine.org/nami-maine-news/

NAMI Maine's Helpline - https://namimaine.org/helplinemaine/

In Crisis? Call -or- Text 988

#CrisisIntervention #NotAllHeroesWearCapes #CIT #Facts #LCSW #ItTakesAllOfUs #HOPE #WellBeing #Resources #StrongerTogether #ReachOut #Maine #MentalHealthMattersToME

 In this week's episode of NAMI Maine Talks, sit down with Delaney and Deanna as they chat with influencer / psychologist Kristen Gingrich! Known as “Not Your Average Therapist”, Kristen started her journey with social media advocacy in 2020, and quickly gained a following of people who wanted to learn more about mental health. Find out how she balances work, social media, and her family in this #NAMIMaineTalks special! 

Kristen Gingrich is a Licenced Clinical Social Worker and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor with 7+ years of experience in Community Mental Health, working in Outpatient settings, Behavioral Health Home settings, Supervisor/Leadership roles, as well as inter-professional collaboration. Her goal is to make mental health treatment more accessible and to destigmatize talking about it, all while meeting clients where they are at in their healing journey.

Hosts: Delaney Ireland and Deanna Plaisted (Program Coordinators for Youth Education at NAMI Maine)

Special Guest: Kristen Gingrich LCSW, CADC, CCS (aka: @NotYourAverageThrpst)

Learn More (Helpful Links):

More About Kristen Gingrich - https://notyouraveragethrpst.com/
NAMI Night with the Portland Sea Dogs - https://namimaine.org/event/nami-night-with-the-portland-sea-dogs-5-23-2025/

Healing: A Journal for Therapy - https://shorturl.at/SgGGT

Mental Health Matters To ME - NEWS - https://namimaine.org/nami-maine-news/

NAMI Maine's Helpline - https://namimaine.org/helplinemaine/

In Crisis? Call -or- Text 988

#Healing #NoBS #stigmaFREE #MentalHealthMattersToME #ItTakesAllOfUs #HOPE #WellBeing #Resources #StrongerTogether #ReachOut #Maine #MentalHealthMattersToME

Today (03/18/2025) is National Social Worker Appreciation Day! Celebrate with some of NAMI Maine's favorite licensed clinical social workers. In this week's episode of NAMI Maine Talks, join Hannah Longley and Chris Mclaughlin as they discuss their experience as professionals that help individuals, families, and communities overcome challenges and improve their well-being through education, advocacy, and connecting people to resources. Learn about ways you can show social workers that they're appreciated. BONUS: Discover what it takes to become a social worker and make a difference in our state! 

Host: Hannah Longley, LCSW (Director of Advocacy & Crisis Interventions at NAMI Maine)

Special Guests: Chris McLaughlin, LCSW (Executive Director of National Association of Social Workers Maine)

⭐️ March is Social Work Appreciation Month: Help Maine by contacting members of the appropriations committees. Urge them to fund workforce bills that help support boosting up social workers & other mental health providers!

Current Bill: LD 258, Resolve, to Establish a Program to Recruit and Retain Behavioral Health Clinicians

See More ➡️ https://legislature.maine.gov/backend/App/services/getDocument.aspx?documentId=108776

Legislators to Contact ➡️ https://legislature.maine.gov/senate/senators/9536https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/MemberProfiles/ListAlpha

Learn More (Helpful Links):

National Association of Social Workers Maine - https://naswme.socialworkers.org/

Maine Mental Health Database - https://namimaine.org/maines-mental-health-resource-database/

Mental Health Matters To ME - NEWS - https://namimaine.org/nami-maine-news/

NAMI Maine's Helpline - https://namimaine.org/helplinemaine/

In Crisis? Call -or- Text 988

#SocialWorkersAppreciation #NotAllHeroesWearCapes #SocialWorkFacts #LCSW #ItTakesAllOfUs #HOPE #WellBeing #Resources #StrongerTogether #ReachOut #Maine #MentalHealthMattersToME

In the week’s episode of NAMI Maine Talks, join Tori as we welcome Donald Burr from the Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast. Listen to Donald explain his role with PLC and discover why he created a partnership with NAMI ME. Also, enjoy his personal stories that explore the importance of implementing mental health into the workforce!

Hosts: Tori Tracy (NAMI Maine’s Manager of Community Engagement)

Special Guest: Donald Burr (Safety and Training Consultant with Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast)

Learn More (Helpful Links):

Man Therapy - https://namimaine.org/mantherapy/

Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast (PLC) - https://plcloggers.org/

NAMI Maine's Helpline - https://namimaine.org/helplinemaine/

In Crisis? Call -or- Text 988

#MentalHealthInTheWorkplace #HealthyWorkEnvironments #EndStigma #BestWorkCrew #ManTherapy #DangerInSilence #WellBeing #Resources #ReachOut #Maine #MentalHealthMattersToME

Welcome to the next season of NAMI Maine Talks! In this episode, sit down with Jill and guests as they talk about the work done by the Wade Millet Memorial Foundation. From advocacy to hosting a yearly golf tournament, see what they're doing to help reduce stigma in Maine. Also, learn more about the upcoming Basketball Tournament at the USM Athletics Complex, Hill Gymnasium, in Gorham to be held on February 8th!

Hosts: Jill Henderson (NAMI Maine’s Associate Director of Development & Communication)

Special Guest: 

Learn More (Helpful Links):

Wade Millet Memorial Foundation - https://www.wmmemorialfoundation.org/

Mental Health Events in ME - https://namimaine.org/events/

Maine Mental Health Database - https://namimaine.org/maines-mental-health-resource-database/

In Crisis? Call -or- Text 988

#SuicidePrevention #EndStigma #WadeMillet BasketballFundraiser #ItTakesAllOfUs #HOPE #WellBeing #Resources #StrongerTogether #ReachOut #Maine #MentalHealthMattersToME

The holiday season is a special time of the year, but it can also be very stressful for a lot of people. In this week's episode of #NAMIMaineTalks, join Ambrose and Delaney to discover ways you can destress and make time for yourself this holiday season! From managing your time and money, to dealing with family around the holidays, we’ve got you covered!

Host: Ambrose Ward (NAMI Maine’s Community Engagement Coordinator) and Delaney Ireland (Sources of Strength Community Coach at NAMI Maine)

Learn More (Helpful Links):

Helpline - https://namimaine.org/helplinemaine/

Teen / Young Adult Support - https://namimaine.org/teentextline/

In Crisis? Call or Text 988

#HolidayStressTips #FindPeace BuildYourToolkit #WellnessToolkit #VibeCheck #MentalHealthTips #WellBeing #TeenSupport #NotAlone #Resources #StrongerTogether #Maine #MentalHealthMattersToME

#DidYouKnow… NAMI has a Teen Text Support Line as well as a confidential Chat feature. In this weeks episode of NAMI Maine Talks, join Grace from our Teen Text Support Team and guests to learn about school stress. Learn about their experiences with managing school, work, and personal relationships. Discover ways to take care of yourself with peer examples and life stories. Find out some tips and tricks they suggest to help the rest of this semester go smoothly! 

Host: Grace Brenner, BSW (Program Manager at NAMI Maine)

Learn More (Helpful Links):

Teen / Young Adult Support - https://namimaine.org/teentextline/

Youth Ed Resources - https://namimaine.org/youth-ed-resources/

Helpline - https://namimaine.org/helplinemaine/

#FinishStrong #YoungAndCapable #EndOfSemester #SchoolStress #BuildYourToolkit #WellnessToolkit #VibeCheck #MentalHealthTips #WellBeing #TeenSupport #NotAlone #Resources #StrongerTogether #Maine #MentalHealthMattersToME

In this week’s episode of NAMI Maine Talks, join both Hannah Longley and Hannah Woodman as they talk about how to de-stress this election season. Learn about ways to distance yourself from overwhelming news by diving into a hobby, like reading or jogging. Also featured in this episode, learn how you can get active in your local government to make sure your voice gets heard!

Hosts: Hannah Longley, LCSW (Clinical Director of Advocacy & Crisis Interventions at NAMI Maine) & Hannah Woodman (Helpline Coordinator at NAMI Maine)

Learn More (Helpful Links):

You can read more about the American Psychological Association's 2024 Stress In America report here.

Check out the list of 101 Distraction Techniques mentioned on the show here. Open this page on our website and scroll halfway down to find helpful APPs for coping with stressors.

Learn something new with The History Chicks Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You (an epidemiology and disease ecology podcast), or Duolingo. As recommended, pairing a great informational podcast or audiobook with  puzzling can be a wonderful distraction. Hannah 1 suggests Sudoku, a number based puzzle game, while Hannah 2 prefers jigsaw puzzles. Remember, your local library may have audiobooks, too. So feel free to reach out!

If you are interested in volunteering at a ward clerk during an election in the future, reach out to your local Election Warden or municipal clerk. We also welcome you to join in our advocacy efforts across the state. You can view more information about our advocacy at the statehouse here and find our upcoming NAMI Smarts for Advocacy trainings on our events page.

Looking for more resources?
Reach out to our Helpline at 1-800-464-5767 or visit https://namimaine.org/helplinemaine/

Mental Health Matters To ME - NEWS - https://namimaine.org/nami-maine-news/

Maine Mental Health Database - https://namimaine.org/maines-mental-health-resource-database/

In Crisis? Call -or- Text 988

#StressAwareness #ElectionDay #NotAlone #TheDangerInSilence #MentalHealthTips #WellBeing #Resources #StrongerTogether #ReachOut #Maine #MentalHealthMattersToME

In this week's episode of NAMI Maine Talks, join our Adult Education Team as they host our Halloween special! Want to set up a spooky attraction for your neighborhood, friends, &/or family? How soon is too soon to watch scary movies with your kids? Tune in & join the discussion! Discover ways to provide the feeling of fear, without the negative ramifications of experiencing truly frightening or traumatic events. Learn how to allow space for children to explore and understand what frightens them in a safe environment. 

How do people react to being afraid and do you react the same way? What are coping mechanisms that help you when you’re afraid?

Hosts: Devon Gross (Special Projects & Data Specialist at NAMI Maine) & Hannah Woodman (Helpline Coordinator at NAMI Maine)

Bibliography:

Andrew, Scottie. “Do Your Little Kids Love Horror? They’re Not Alone.” CNN, Cable News

Network, 9 Oct. 2022, www.cnn.com/2022/10/09/entertainment/child-horror-fans-scary-

creepy-halloween-tiktok-cec/index.html.

Holmes, Mikayla. “Expert Says Early Exposure to Horror Movies ‘Potentially Traumatic’ for

Young Kids.” FOX 59, 28 Oct. 2023, fox59.com/news/national-world/expert-says-early-

exposure-to-horror-movies-potentially-traumatic-for-young-kids/.

Joyce, Amy. “Is It Bad to Expose Your Kids to Scary Things?” The Washington Post, 7 Jan.

2016, www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2016/01/07/matilda-and-the-

challenge-of-deciding-whats-appropriate-for-kids-at-what-age/.

Learn More (Helpful Links):

Mental Health Matters To ME - NEWS - https://namimaine.org/nami-maine-news/

NAMI Maine's Helpline - https://namimaine.org/helplinemaine/

In Crisis? Call -or- Text 988

#KidsThatLoveHorror #BeingAfraid #FearFactor #Scare #SpookySeason #Community #HalloweenSpecial #TheDangerInSilence #MentalHealthTips #WellBeing #Resources #StrongerTogether #ReachOut #Maine #MentalHealthMattersToME

In this week’s episode of NAMI Maine Talks, NAMI Maine’s clinical suicide prevention specialist, Joyce Morrisette, sits down to talk with Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas. Dr. Sally is a pioneer in workplace suicide prevention, mental health promotion, and worker well-being. This special episode includes an inside look at her background in the field, as well as her integrated knowledge, experiences, and innovations.

Hosts: Joyce Morrisette (Clinical Suicide Prevention Specialist at NAMI Maine)

Special Guest: Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas

Learn More (Helpful Links):

Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas - https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/

Workplace Suicide Prevention - https://workplacesuicideprevention.com/

Construction Working Minds - https://www.constructionworkingminds.org/

Man Therapy - https://namimaine.org/mantherapy/

United Survivors - https://www.unitesurvivors.com/

HOPE Certification - https://www.hopecertification.com/

HOPE Report - https://static1.squarespace.com/static/64273c6621aea01a90ffa0f2/t/6490a64609c3e8463781a4ca/1687201369180/20230616-SPCNY-REPORT.pdf

#SuicidePrevention #WorkplaceVibes #HealthWorkEnvironments #ItTakesAllOfUs #HOPE #DrSally #MentalHealthTips #WellBeing #Resources #StrongerTogether #ReachOut #Maine #MentalHealthMattersToME