A new initiative from the University of New England (UNE) aims to provide crucial training in opioid response strategies to hundreds of health care professionals in rural Maine. The program, named the University of New England Northern Border Rural Workforce, is set to launch by August 2026 and will cater to both current health care workers and students in the region.
The need for such training is pressing, as Maine continues to grapple with the ongoing effects of the opioid epidemic. Rural areas in particular face significant challenges in accessing care for opioid use disorders, which are described as “grossly underserved” by Devon Sherwood, the project director and a professor at UNE’s pharmacy school.
The comprehensive training will cover various treatment strategies, including medication options and patient communication techniques, aimed at equipping professionals with the skills necessary to recognize and manage opioid use disorders. “We hope to get more people equipped to manage patients with opioid use disorder,” Sherwood stated.
Addressing Long Wait Times in Treatment Services
The initiative comes in response to alarming waitlists for opioid and substance use treatment services in Maine, which are described as “extremely long” by project manager Rebecca Ireland. She emphasizes that many providers lack the necessary training to effectively engage with patients suffering from these disorders. “They’re not getting the services, or their providers haven’t gotten the training to be comfortable, confident, and effective in talking with them about that and providing care,” Ireland explained.
With many positions in this sector remaining vacant, the training program seeks to broaden the knowledge base of health care professionals, even those who do not specialize in addiction treatment. Ireland noted that professionals will gain “at least a core basic knowledge and understanding of the issue, how to identify it, how to treat it, and how to support patients.”
Comprehensive Training Structure and Partnerships
The training will be integrated into the curricula of all 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 from various partner organizations across the state, including Penobscot Community Health Care and Northern Light Health.
The program will offer both basic and advanced certification options, allowing providers to select components that best fit their roles. This flexibility aims to make the training accessible to those in non-clinical positions who may still interact with patients facing opioid use disorders. “We want to meet them where they’re at,” Ireland noted.
The initiative also collaborates with multiple health care education organizations, including the Maine Medical Association. Dr. James Jarvis, president of the association, highlighted that reducing training barriers and aligning statewide partners will lead to meaningful improvements in patient safety and community health, particularly in preventing overdose deaths in the state.
The program is made possible through a four-year, $1.6 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, awarded in September. Sherwood expressed intentions for the program to be sustainable beyond the initial funding period, thanks to the adaptability of the online training platform.
Over the first four years, the initiative aims to train hundreds of students and health care employees. Sherwood encouraged trained professionals to seek opportunities in rural areas, 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.”
This training program represents a significant step forward in addressing the critical health crisis posed by the opioid epidemic in Maine, equipping a new generation of health care professionals with the tools necessary to make a difference in their communities.
