ABOUT MILESTONE FOUNDATION
With locations in Portland and Old Orchard Beach, Maine, the Milestone Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides treatment to adults struggling with substance use, mental health orders, and homelessness. Medically monitored detox services are also available, making the facility one of the only 17 (7.4 percent) non-hospital facilities in the state with this option. A long-term residential rehab for men is also among the programs provided. Milestone began as a detox center for men who could not afford the cost of treatment in 1967.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Men in immediate need of a place to sleep, clothing, and nutrition may stay briefly in this facility’s overnight shelter. While at the shelter, clients have access to counseling and addiction education, and staff members encourage individuals to enter the on-site detoxification program, if needed.
Staffed by nurses 24 hours per day, the detox program lasts for a maximum of seven days. In addition to individual and group counseling, clients receive case management and referral services. Family counseling is also available.
The long-term residential rehab program for men typically lasts six to nine months. These services support individuals in advanced stages of chemical dependency, and in particular those who have not been successful in recovery following other attempts at rehab.
The facility’s website references unspecified evidence-based treatment modalities, but Best-rehabs.com survey responses from one staff member indicate that cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, 12-step practices, and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) are all utilized.
Men who have completed the residential program may be eligible to transition to Milestone’s three-quarter-way house, which is designed to assist with reintegration into society while continuing in therapy.
Transitional housing services are also available for individuals living with chronic mental health and substance abuse on the streets. This mobile program provides intervention, referrals, and transportation for crisis treatment.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
Milestone’s treatment team includes a family doctor, master’s-level social worker, licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselors, and nurses. Several part-time staff are also involved with other local organizations including jails, treatment centers, and hospitals. In the state of Maine, 95.5 percent of all substance abuse treatment facilities have continuing education requirements for staff. The sole loved one polled by Best-rehabs.com to date awarded four out of five stars for the staff’s level of experience and training.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
The emergency shelter has 41 beds, while the long-term residential program accommodates 16 men at a time, providing individualized care compared to the national average number of 18 clients in a residential facility at a time. The one loved one polled by Best-rehabs.com to date awarded four stars out of five each for meals and nutrition and the facility’s cleanliness and upkeep.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
Best-rehabs.com has not yet received any reviews from this facility’s former clients, though feedback on secondary review sites is quite positive to date. With an average rating of 4.7 out of five stars from 19 reviewers, commentary on Google praised the staff and the “safe setting.”[1] Former client C.B. wrote: “Free detox. Available to all regardless of cost. Also has overnight wet shelter.”
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
The single loved one surveyed by Best-rehabs.com as of this writing gave Milestone positive feedback, awarding it mostly four out of five stars across 15 different evaluated metrics, including the staff’s level of training and experience, treatment for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, holistic therapy offerings, and opportunities for family participation. The reviewer described the staff as caring and understanding, writing, “Has a strong staff and they treat you with respect.”
WHAT STAFF SAY
The one staffer who responded to a Best-rehabs.com survey praised the facility’s evidence-based treatment and would recommend Milestone Foundation. “Solid reputation for evidence-based expertise,” they wrote.
Two Google reviewers also offered positive feedback.[1] One, a former peer volunteer, rated the facility five stars and reported having assisted clients with transportation. He acknowledged that the facility was somewhat strict about admission to residential services. Another five-star rating was submitted by a local community resource reviewer, who described the facility’s setting as safe.
FINANCING
According to the center’s CiteHealth page, the facility accepts Medicaid and is among the 51.5 percent of facilities in Maine to accept Medicare. A sliding fee scale may also be applied, and the non-profit is supported by fundraising efforts. To date, the sole loved one polled by Best-rehabs.com provided a three-star rating for the center’s affordability.
[1] GoogleReviews