Safe Harbor Recovery Residence Receives Giraffe Award from Maine Children's Alliance

(Left to right): Penny Guisinger: Healthy Acadia Recovery Programs Director, Kim McClure: Safe Harbor Intern, Charley Martin-Berry: Community Caring Collaborative Executive Director, and Julie Redding: Community Caring Collaborative Clinical Director. 

Safe Harbor Recovery Residence for Women and Children was one of six recipients of the Maine Children's Alliance's annual Giraffe Award, which is given to organizations, individuals, and businesses who stick their neck out for children. Because Safe Harbor allows women to reside in the house with their children, the program was recognized for the positive impact it has on allowing families to remain together while women address and receive support for their substance use disorder.

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. The house is operated by a collaborative with partners Healthy Acadia, Downeast Community Partners, Community Caring Collaborative, and AMHC (Aroostook Mental Health Services, Inc.) and is located in Machias. Since opening in 2020, the house has provided housing and other services to 40 women and 37 children.