History
The Awakening-1985
The year was 1985, Kelsey Orestis, Alma Desjardins, Trish Buls, David Peters and Diane Potvin gathered in Kelseys living room and formed the Area IV Mental Health Services Coalition, later to become Common Ties Mental Health.
The group was a coalition of people with different backgrounds, but each with a desire to advocate for services for persons who were leaving hospitals and institutions and returning to their home towns.
From Kelsey Orestis-2000
Common Ties Mental Health evolved simply from the outspoken needs of a group of people who were willing to place the good of the peoples of the mental health community before the fear, self-doubt and repression of the individual-people who demanded equality and quality of life. People who were able to overcome insurmountable mental, social and emotional barriers to gain for themselves the rights and dignities they hoped for and then, earned.
It is with enormous pride that I can say that I was a small part of this effort and by the Grace of God the Coalition has not only continued, it has flourished and the people who dreamed their dreams have seen them realized.
Certainly, Common Ties is far more than I had envisioned, but I never doubted its reality. I am blessed to have been a part of this great effort, to have been a part of such special people.
With love, Kelsey Orestis”
The Family Support Movement-1985
The Desjardins, the Doyons, and the Donnells were parents whose families included a member who had a mental illness. Our friends were not professionals, not lobbyists, just real people who wished the future for their family members to be much better than that offered by the past.
The Club, the Center-1986
Eight months following the founding of the organization and with $78,000 of grant funds from the State of Maine, the 100 Pine Street Social Center opened its doors at 3 oclock in the afternoon in March of 1986.
The Kelsey Building-1993
That 100 year old Pine Street building became the Kelsey Building and soon underwent a renovation and expansion to become a landmark at the corner of Pine and Pierce streets.
The Fifth Street Apartments-1998
Common Ties Mental Health created six units of affordable, safe, and quality housing in New Auburn. The Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA,) the Department of Health and Human Services, and the city of Auburn were our financing partners on that project
DYouville Award for Respect-2001
Trish Buls, President of the Board of Directors, represented Common Ties Mental Health at the Annual Community Awards of St. Marys Regional Medical Center who chose to bestow upon the agency the Marguerite DYouville Award for Respect.
Integrating Behavorial and Primary Care -2003, today, and beyond
The Maine Health Access Foundation awards Common Ties Mental Health a two-year grant, $250,000 to work with the B Street Health Center, a Community Clinical Services practice? and Sisters of Charity Health Systems, to promote the integration of physical and behavioral health services.
The Integrated Care Project continues to this day, with emerging opportunities to expand the concepts to more practices and bring in additional tools for practitioners.
Foundation Support
The Wrendy Hayne foundation has made multiple contributions to support the Wellness and Recovery Center in celebrating its accomplishments and acknowledging individual member successes.
The Steven and Tabitha King Foundation has supported the purchase of fitness equipment for the Center.
The JTG Foundation has supported the development of a broader range of community integration services for Androscoggin County citizens.
The CWG Fund has contributed in excess of $10,000 over multiple years to provide small grants to individuals to continue their education, purchase glasses and lots more.
Health and Wellness-2005 and beyond
Health and Wellness- A Call to Action
In November of 2006, in partnership with St. Marys Regional Medical Center, Common Ties Mental Health hosted a statewide conference on a call to action on The Quiet Tragedy of Premature Death Among Mental Health Consumers. Dr. Dori Hutchinson from Boston University, talked about persons with serious mental illnesses dieing 25 years younger than the general population. Addressing this silent tragedy must be a very high priority for the entire mental health field.
Feeling Better: Bit by Bit
Home grown and member directed, Feeling Better Bit by Bit is a health and wellness program launched at the newly named 100 Pine Street Wellness and Recovery Center. As one might expect, health and wellness contributes to a lot welcoming faces and a lot of smiles.
An agency welcoming to persons with co-occurring disorders-2006 and beyond.
Our initiatives and practices continue to be more and more evidenced based and outcome driven.
The Maine Co-occurring Systems Initiative Grant chose the agency to participate in an 18 month project to bring the best of co-occurring practice, tools and processes to the entire agency.
Program Expansions-2006
Common Ties Mental Health expanded its range of services by adding Medication Management Services and Intensive the Community Integration family of services.
Intensive Community Integration Services are designed to provide a higher level of supportive services to those individuals who have a higher level of need. It is focused around a multi-disciplinary team model of service.
Employees
Since the first day, in March of 1987, when the 100 Pine Street Social Center opened its doors, citizens coming though its doors to access all agency services have been welcomed by peers and professionals alike. Caring and sharing, committed and hardworking, the employees of the agency have and continue to serve with distinction.
The Common Ties Mental Health story continues…
Our story continues with your support, your contributions, your involvement, as well as our own involvement with our community.
Believe in how Michelle, who came to Lewiston expecting to be homeless and on multiple waiting lists, but rather who now works with Community Integration Services, attends the Wellness and Recovery Center, has medical specialists for other chronic diseases, who is now clean and sober, who has a home.
Or Jason who is rebuilding his past and present family, personal and work relationships, who is learning to use resources and the Breaking Free Service to help with his symptoms, and who told us recently
My mother has her son back and my son has his father back. Today, I have hope for the future.
In the words of Pat Deegan, we all aspire is to live, work, and love in a community in which one makes a significant contribution.”
This is why We Believe.