Mercy Newsletter

Education Pathways for Families in Recovery

Building on its successful two generation model, McAuley Residence adds new resources to support educational pathways for families in recovery A bridge and a couple of miles are all that separate McAuley Residence in Portland from Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) in South Portland. But for the women of McAuley Residence – a residential program for mothers in substance use disorder recovery – getting to the college, and receiving the benefits that education would offer them and their children, can seem like an impossible reach. A new partnership between McAuley Residence and SMCC, with support from the John T. Gorman Foundation, is creating new education opportunities to help moms and their children close the distance.

“When I saw the decline in enrollment, that’s when I realized we had to do something different,” Skahan said. “The last thing you want to do is reunify a family and have them exit McAuley and live below poverty level. You really have to do that aspirational piece.” In response, McAuley Residence has partnered with SMCC to provide an education coach at its Portland location – someone to work with women around their career and education goals broadly, but also act as a bridge to help women enroll and take classes at the college. Funding from the John T. Gorman Foundation supports the education coach position, as well as access to education supports and the development of a family learning curriculum. “What is impressive about McAuley Residence is the work it does to continually refine and strengthen its model, using research and evidence based practices to respond to the emerging needs of the families it serves,” “It’s been very exciting to see this new partnership develop and to know that the moms are being supported on their education and career pathways, which we’re confident will bring many long term benefits to them and their children.”

— JENNIFER BECK, THE FOUNDATION’S VICE PRESIDENT, PROGRAMS

northernlighthealth.org/mercynewsletter | Summer 2023 | 9