The University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) and the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) have completed a three-year workforce initiative that strengthens Maine’s behavioral health and recovery workforce by reducing financial barriers for aspiring counselors and employment specialist services.
Funded through a $325,332 award from the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan (MJRP), the initiative provided career development support and job training assistance to 400 people statewide. The project also delivered direct financial support to 105 UMA and UMF students pursuing credentials in substance use disorder counseling and employment specialist services. Employment specialists are trained professionals who help individuals in recovery, people with disabilities and others with barriers to employment secure and maintain meaningful work.
Maine continues to face shortages of qualified professionals in mental health, substance use recovery and human services. The initiative focused on expanding access to these high need professional pathways and reducing financial and logistical barriers that often prevent adult and nontraditional students from advancing to licensure.
“Our goals were to increase the number of students preparing to work as employment specialists and substance use disorder treatment counselors,” said Associate Professor of Mental Health and Human Services Wendy St. Pierre. ”We targeted reducing barriers to access by covering tuition costs, as well as the cost of taking the national exam and accessing study guides. I am proud of the work my colleagues and I have done to support students with the grant funds we received.”
Funding was allocated to the University of Maine System through the office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation.
“Supporting Maine’s behavioral health workforce is central to UMA’s mission and our commitment to meeting the needs of the state,” UMA President Jenifer Cushman said. “This initiative shows what is possible when we remove financial barriers and create real pathways for people who want to enter helping professions. UMA is proud to work with UMF to expand access to education and strengthen the network of professionals who provide essential services across Maine.”
Direct Student Support
More than half of the MJRP funding went directly to students, prioritizing tuition assistance and licensing-related expenses over equipment and infrastructure. Support provided through fall 2025 includes:
Tuition scholarships
- 49 UMA students supported for 486 credits across 162 courses
- 56 UMF students supported for 168 credits across 56 courses
Licensing and exam resources
- Seven UMA students passed the national Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor exam and had exam fees reimbursed.
- Twenty-five UMA students received free national exam study guides
- 48 additional study guides were distributed across UMA centers, libraries and faculty-led groups
For many students, the financial support was pivotal.
“Receiving tuition assistance for the Employment Specialist course alleviated the financial burden I would have faced and allowed me to focus fully on my coursework,” said student and program participant Rudy Rideout. “Without that stress, I was able to fully immerse myself in the course content, engage with the additional opportunities the classes had to offer and perform at my highest level academically. I will use these credentials to assist future clients in finding jobs best suited to them and their individual needs.”
Building Workforce Capacity
The initiative strengthened long-term workforce solutions, including:
- Development of a new employment specialist educational program, which will be offered again at UMA in summer 2026.
- Employment of three undergraduate research assistants
- Launch of an Institutional Review Board-approved study, now involving 43 students to examine the initiative’s ongoing impact.
The project was led by four UMA and UMF faculty members, all UMF alumni, who brought shared expertise and a commitment to supporting students entering human services and behavioral health careers.
Commitment to Statewide Access and Workforce Development
The UMA–UMF collaboration reflects UMA’s mission to expand access to education and support Maine’s workforce needs. By lowering barriers to credentials in behavioral health and recovery fields, the project helps meet growing statewide demand for licensed professionals who provide essential services.