Downeast Project HOPE
Launched in September 2016 by Ellsworth Police Department in partnership with Healthy Acadia, Project HOPE (Heroin-Opiate Prevention Effort) is a police-led initiative and community-wide effort that works to connect area residents seeking treatment for heroin and opioid addiction with recovery resources and treatment locally and/or out-of-state. For individuals seeking help, local treatment options are limited and resources scarce. Ellsworth-based Project HOPE works to help connect those seeking recovery with the resources and the treatment they need.
To make a donation to Downeast Project HOPE, click here.
“Project HOPE is an essential service, in some circumstances it is the only way people can access treatment. The search for treatment is incredibly difficult, and for someone who is struggling with substance use disorder it can seem unmanageable. Project HOPE Angels take on that challenge, and can be the difference between continued substance use or accessing treatment.”
Modeled after the Gloucester ANGEL Initiative and the Scarborough, Maine Police Department's Operation HOPE, Project HOPE partners work to place participants into appropriate treatment, regardless of their financial situation. Those who ask for help are welcomed into the police station and connected with recovery supports and treatment services, as well offered referrals to supportive services to continue their healthier lifestyle. Participants are screened during an initial intake session and paired with a volunteer “Angel,” who will work to help find an appropriate treatment program and/or recovery supports. They are encouraged to turn in their drugs and paraphernalia and will not be penalized for doing so.
Downeast Project HOPE provides:
Law enforcement training
Public outreach and education
Drug turn-in*
Connection to resources for treatment and recovery supports
Our volunteer “Angels” are trained to assist those seeking assistance from Project HOPE. HOPE Angels are individuals in established recovery, a friend or family member of someone in recovery, or a recovery ally, and they want to help others find their own path to recovery.
*Upon turning in drugs to Ellsworth Police Department and requesting assistance from Project HOPE, individuals will not be charged criminally or questioned regarding the source.
“I just wish more folks would take advantage of all we can offer.”
Connect with Project HOPE
Project HOPE accepts participants at the Ellsworth Police Department on Tuesdays, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Walk-ins are accepted, but phone calls in advance are encouraged. To connect with Project HOPE, call the Ellsworth Police Department at (207) 667-2168 and ask for Project HOPE assistance.
To learn more about services offered through Project HOPE, or to inquire about volunteering as an Angel, use this confidential form, or contact Tracy Crossman at tracy@healthyacadia.org or call/text: (207) 610-0386.
Support this Lifesaving Effort
Launched in 2016 with an initial startup grant of just $2,500 from the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.), Project HOPE continues to actively solicit and secure additional small grants that have enabled the partners to continue providing the service, however, the project relies heavily on community support. Healthy Acadia connects with treatment centers in Maine and throughout the U.S. in an effort to secure scholarships for Downeast Project HOPE participants, but recovery treatment services are seldom offered cost-free. A typical 28-day residential recovery program may cost several thousand dollars per participant. Project HOPE typically has just $1,500 available for each participant, which may only cover their travel expenses.