A new initiative aimed at combating the opioid crisis in Maine is set to launch next year, backed by a substantial federal grant. The University of New England (UNE) has announced plans for a comprehensive training program that will equip hundreds of health care professionals throughout rural Maine with essential opioid response strategies.
The initiative, named the University of New England Northern Border Rural Workforce, is designed to train both current health care workers and students in various health disciplines. According to Devon Sherwood, project director and professor at UNE’s pharmacy school, the program addresses a critical need as communities across Maine continue to struggle with the impacts of the opioid epidemic. Many rural areas in the state are described as “grossly underserved,” making access to care for opioid use disorder particularly challenging.
The training will encompass various treatment strategies, including medication options and methods for recognizing opioid use disorders. Participants will also learn how to effectively communicate with patients about these issues. Sherwood emphasized that the program could lead to a significant increase in the number of professionals capable of managing patients with opioid use disorder.
Rebecca Ireland, the project manager, highlighted the pressing demand for such training, noting that waitlists for opioid treatment services in Maine are “extremely long.” She explained, “We know that they’re not getting the services or their providers haven’t gotten the training to be able to be comfortable, confident, and effective in talking with them about that and providing care for that disorder.”
There is currently a notable shortage of positions within these services, further complicating the situation. The new training program aims to provide even non-specialist health care professionals with a foundational understanding of opioid use disorders, equipping them to identify and support affected patients.
The initiative is expected to launch no later than August 2026, although there are plans to begin earlier. Training will be integrated into the curricula of UNE’s graduate health programs, including pharmacy, psychiatric nurse practitioner, social work, physician assistant, and medicine, as well as undergraduate nursing and social work programs. Additionally, an online component will cater to professionals affiliated with partner organizations such as Penobscot Community Health Care and Northern Light Health.
The training is structured into basic and advanced certification components, allowing participants to select modules most relevant to their roles. “This means that the training can be useful even for people working in non-clinical roles at health care organizations who might otherwise interact with patients who have opioid use disorder,” Ireland noted.
Collaboration with various health care education organizations, including the Maine Medical Association, is a key aspect of the initiative. Dr. James Jarvis, the association’s president, remarked that the program aims to reduce training barriers and align statewide partners to create a measurable impact on patient safety and community health. He added that this training will play a critical role in preventing overdose deaths in the state.
The program is funded through a four-year, $1.6 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, awarded in September 2023. Sherwood indicated that her team is focused on ensuring the program’s sustainability beyond the grant period, thanks to the flexibility offered by its online platform. Over the four years, the initiative aims to train hundreds of students and health care employees.
Once trained, participants are encouraged to practice in rural settings, with the hope that they will remain in these communities to bolster the local workforce. Sherwood expressed optimism about the initiative’s potential to enhance the availability of trained professionals in the state, stating, “Hopefully once they get in there and they’ve got this training, they could stay there, and it increases the ability to improve our numbers in the workforce.”
