The organizers of Courage House introduced themselves to about 60 people at a May 29 public forum held at First Parish Church. They explained how they will be operating the residence on School Street for men recently released from prison who are in recovery from substance abuse. They responded to questions from the audience that expressed both support and concern.
Al Garcia, a Gorham resident experienced in working with mental health residential programs, will be program director. Sean Crothers, a USM graduate in recovery from alcohol abuse, will provide on-site counseling services through Evergreen Recovery Healthcare. Bruce Noddin, from Maine Prisoner Reentry Network, works with released prisoners to foster their reentry into the community. The group also introduced the on-site manager, Ben Potter, who lives in a duplex on the property.
Christine Dyke, Lead Minister of First Parish Church, who has experience in healthcare, facilitated questions and answers. Some people asked the panel for information and clarification. Others, particularly those living near the residence or connected to the nearby dance studio and Gorham Arts Alliance facility, were concerned about supervision and house rules, including rules about smoking on the property.
Crothers said that Courage House is scheduled to open in mid-June with a few residents, although they can house as many as 16. The halfway house will adhere to both Maine and National Associations of Recovery Residences standards for a monitored residence. These include regular drug testing, curfew hours, visitor restrictions, and an on-site manager.
Courage House residents, who will rent individual rooms and share a common kitchen, must sign a contract agreeing to the house rules. Failure to follow those rules could result in eviction. Draft copies of the contract were available at the meeting. Smoking will be limited to a designated area away from neighboring buildings.
Because Evergreen Recovery Healthcare will be renting space for resident counseling, there was a question about whether or not this could be considered commercial use and subject the house to additional regulations. This issue was not addressed by the panelists.
Residents will participate in mandatory house meetings, and will be expected to work, attend school, or volunteer at least 20 hours a week. Garcia said some local businesses have already expressed interest in employing residents. The men will be required to attend other recovery activities such as group therapy and 12-step programs. It is assumed that many will be receiving Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) under a physician’s supervision.
Noddin said that the residents will be selected from applicants with varied backgrounds. Case workers and others will help with choosing men who will benefit from group living. He reminded the crowd that many people are released from prison into communities every day without a structured living arrangement.
A number of people expressed support for the halfway house and its mission. These included mental health professionals who work with people in recovery as well as community members who welcome the opportunity to help Courage House residents get a fresh start.
Ben Korobkin, the owner of the property, thanked people for attending but did not participate in the program.
After the forum, Dyke said, “First Parish was so pleased to be a place where the community could come together to listen and speak. We look forward to meeting our new neighbors and learning from them.” She added, “We hope we can be a place of many more conversations about crucial issues.”