MaineHealth's Center for Tobacco Independence (CTI) has received a $80,000, two-year grant from the Maine Cancer Foundation to expand access to tobacco treatment services for individuals receiving behavioral health and substance use treatment. The grant will support a partnership with MaineHealth Behavioral Health's Comprehensive Addiction Psychiatry Services (CAPS) program. 

The initiative will help integrate tobacco treatment into behavioral health care by making it easier for CAPS clinicians and staff to identify patients who use tobacco and connect them with evidence-based treatment services. Beginning this fall, patients referred through CAPS will have access to enhanced tobacco treatment support, including telehealth visits with CTI tobacco treatment specialists. 

"For too long, tobacco use has been treated separately from behavioral health and substance use recovery," said Lori Schwartz, Senior Director, MaineHealth Behavioral Health, in a MaineHealth news release. "Today, we know that treating tobacco dependence alongside other health concerns can strengthen recovery, improve health outcomes and help patients build healthier futures." 

Individuals receiving behavioral health and substance use treatment experience higher rates of tobacco use than the general population, according to MaineHealth, and research shows that addressing tobacco use as part of recovery can improve overall health outcomes. Tobacco use also remains a leading cause of preventable cancer and chronic disease, said MaineHealth. 

"Every day, we meet people who want to quit tobacco but need support to get there," said Sarah Rines, Director of the MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence. "This grant helps us meet patients where they are, provide compassionate, evidence-based care and give them more opportunities to succeed on their path to better health." 

CTI operates the Maine QuitLink, the Maine Center for Disease and Prevention's statewide tobacco treatment program which provides free counseling, nicotine replacement therapy and digital support services. Maine Cancer Foundation Grant funding will support treatment services, staff training and streamlined referral processes designed to connect more patients with care and create sustainable pathways for tobacco treatment within behavioral health settings. 

MaineHealth is a not-for-profit, integrated health system whose vision is, “Working together so our communities are the healthiest in America,” and is committed to a mission of providing high-quality affordable care, educating tomorrow's caregivers and researching better ways to provide care. MaineHealth includes a Level 1 trauma medical center, eight additional licensed hospitals, comprehensive pediatric care services, an extensive behavioral health care network, diagnostic services as well as home health, hospice and senior care services. With more than 2,000 employed providers and approximately 23,000 care team members, MaineHealth provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. MaineHealth hospitals include MaineHealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor in Westbrook, MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington, MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, Biddeford and Sanford, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, MaineHealth Stephens Hospital in Norway and MaineHealth Waldo Hospital in Belfast. MaineHealth also includes the MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s, MaineHealth Behavioral Health in Westbrook, MaineHealth Home Health and Hospice in Saco, the MaineHealth Institute for Research in Scarborough, the MaineHealth Medical Group and MaineHealth NorDx in Scarborough. MaineHealth affiliates include MaineGeneral Health in Augusta and Waterville. It is also a significant stakeholder in the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization in Portland and a joint venture partner in the New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland.