Safe Harbor Recovery Home for Women and Children
Safe Harbor Recovery Home for Women and Children is the only certified recovery residence in Washington County and serves women from across the region. The house provides wraparound support for women in all stages of recovery, and is one of the only houses in the state where they can live with their children. Launched and operated by a collaborative effort between Healthy Acadia, Downeast Community Partners, Community Caring Collaborative, and AMHC (Aroostook Mental Health Services, Inc.), Safe Harbor is supported in part by MaineHousing.
The Home is within walking distance of historic downtown Machias, a small community with a big heart located in Washington County. Home to the University of Maine Machias, Downeast Community hospital, a recovery support center located minutes from the house, opportunities for employment, and a rich, supportive recovery community.
Donations to Safe Harbor are used in support of the house, its programs, and the women who live there. Often, residents arrive with very few resources, and it can take some time for them to find employment and/or enroll in supportive programs. With contributions, Safe Harbor is able to meet the basic needs of residents and their children and provide a clean, safe, supportive environment.
Our Mission and Vision
Safe Harbor is a place for women to live and grow with their children while seeking recovery from substance use disorder. Our mission is to provide a safe, supportive, affordable living environment for women in recovery.
Our vision is of a recovery-ready community in which all people seeking recovery and in recovery, along with their families and loved ones, are able to access the support and resources they need in order to thrive.
Safe Harbor is appropriate for women who fit the following description:
18 years or older without children OR 18 years or older with children age 10 and younger (exceptions may be reviewed)
Self-identify as in recovery from substance use disorder
Negative screen for alcohol, THC, and medications or drugs not prescribed by a doctor
Ability to pay rent (scholarships may be available)
Commitment to recovery and willingness to engage in personal growth processes
Willing to actively engage in recovery goal setting
Willing to live in close quarters with others, and to respectfully work through conflicts
Click here to complete an initial application online.
Click here to download a printable form to complete and mail or fax. Fax completed application to (207) 255-3000 or mail to Attn: Katie Sell, Healthy Acadia, 121 Court Street, Machias, ME 04654.
Once an application has been received, you will be contacted within 2 business days to schedule an interview. For more information contact Katie Sell at Katie.Sell@HealthyAcadia.org or (207) 255-3741.
A copy of Safe Harbor's Grievance and Appeal Policy can be found here.
Safe Harbor opened in August 2020 as the first recovery residence in Downeast Maine to be certified by the Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR). The home operates as a non-clinical Level 2 program and supports multiple and diverse pathways to recovery, including medication-assisted treatment (MAT), but does not provide clinical treatment services.
The project is the result of a collaborative effort between Healthy Acadia, Downeast Community Partners, Aroostook Mental Health Center, and the Community Caring Collaborative to provide a safe, supportive, affordable living environment for women in recovery. The partners are part of the Washington County Substance Use Response Collaborative, a collaborative of over 25 Washington County nonprofit partners and individuals in recovery which has convened regularly since 2016 to address the broad impacts of substance use disorder.