HEART
Strengthening Behavioral Healthcare in Rural Maine
The Health Equity and Resource Team (HEART) Project grant supports a three -year effort to strengthen behavioral healthcare in rural Downeast Maine. Through strong partnerships among healthcare providers, community organizations, and educators, the project focuses on improving access to behavioral health support for individuals and families. The work brings partners together to plan, share resources, and build systems that last beyond the grant period, so communities continue to benefit well into the future.
The project also invests in people. It helps grow the behavioral health workforce by promoting career pathways, offering scholarships and training, and supporting frontline workers and community health navigators with new skills. At the same time, it provides direct help to community members through one-on-one navigation, education, and outreach. Together, these efforts aim to make it easier for people to find care, get support, and build healthier, more resilient communities across the region.
How the HEART Project Supports our Communities
Start a Career in Behavioral Health
Start Here. Grow Skills. Make a Difference.
Behavioral health careers offer meaningful work and the opportunity to support people in your community. If you’re interested in helping others while building a stable and rewarding career, there are several accessible entry points that can get you started.
These training pathways allow you to begin working in behavioral health while developing skills that can lead to advanced certifications, clinical roles, leadership opportunities, and specialized areas of care.
Entry pathways include:
People often begin in roles like MHRT/C, CHW, Recovery Coach, or CIPSS to build hands-on experience supporting others, and from there grow into careers such as case management, counseling, nursing, social work, public health, or program leadership. These positions offer a meaningful entry point into behavioral health, with opportunities for training, certification, and long-term professional advancement.
Click here to explore behavioral health career pathways.
Washington County Community College Assistance Fund
The Washington County Community College Assistance Fund, supported by Healthy Acadia, helps students in the Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician - Community (MHRT/C) and Substance Use & Recovery Pathway Launch programs overcome unexpected financial barriers that could disrupt their education. The fund provides timely, short-term financial assistance so students can remain focused on completing their studies and preparing for careers that strengthen the health and well-being of our communities.
Through a simple application process, requests are reviewed based on urgency, impact, and available funding. Support may address immediate needs such as housing stability, urgent medical expenses, transportation for work or essential services, emergency childcare, and other critical short-term challenges. By responding quickly to unforeseen hardships, the fund helps ensure students have the stability they need to continue their education and move forward toward graduation.
For more information, contact Sonya Connelly, sonya.connelly@healthyacadia.org.
Supporting Maine Recovery Core Program (MRC) recovery coaches' career growth
The HEART Project team is dedicated to the professional evolution of Healthy Acadia’s Maine Recovery Core (MRC) recovery coach interns who are interested in behavioral health professions. By leveraging our broad network and internal expertise, we’ve developed a robust menu of professional development opportunities:
MRC interns are encouraged to engage with Healthy Acadia programming to gain a deeper understanding of integrated community health. Opportunities include shadowing Healthy Acadia staff across the organization’s many focus areas.
Site tours with our community partners, including Mount Desert Island Hospital, AMHC, and Eastport Healthcare Inc., are offered to the MRC interns. These visits feature a facility tour followed by a staff panel discussion, offering a firsthand look at our partner environments and the chance to connect directly with their teams.
Looking for a direct path into the behavioral health field? We are offering 1:1 sessions with HEART Project team members specifically to help you explore career tracks in social work and community health systems. This is your dedicated space to ask every question you have, gain tailored advice, and map out your professional future in Maine's recovery landscape.
Gain firsthand perspective through our guest speaker series, featuring dedicated professionals from across the behavioral health landscape. These sessions offer a unique opportunity to engage with experts as they share their specialized knowledge, career journeys, and diverse clinical experiences, providing you with a deeper understanding of the various "worlds" within the behavioral health fields.
For more information, contact Caroline Bloss, caroline.bloss@healthyacadia.org.
Collaboration with MCD Global Health
We are proud to feature the Community Health Worker (CHW) Behavioral Health Specialty Track, an impactful training series made possible by Healthy Acadia through the HRSA Rural Northern Border Region Outreach Program grant. Tailored for Community Health Workers and frontline professionals, including those dedicated to outreach, care coordination, and crisis response, this self-paced course provides essential expertise in trauma-informed communication, stigma reduction, and resource navigation. With a vital focus on professional well-being and sustainable practice, these three modules can be completed in approximately 75 minutes.
Click here to access the CHW Behavioral Health Specialty Track training series.
We are also proud to showcase the MCD Global Health CHW Apprenticeship Program, a structured career pathway that bridges the gap between technical education and real-world experience. Several Healthy Acadia staff members have successfully completed this rigorous process and earned a national CHW Apprenticeship Certificate.
Click here to learn more about this Apprenticeship opportunity.
For more information, contact Caroline Bloss, caroline.bloss@healthyacadia.org.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided financial support for the HEART project website development. The award provided 1% of total costs and totaled $2,500. The contents are those of the author. They may not reflect the policies of HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.