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Maine man owes 'everything in his life' to recently closed drug recovery program

The residential treatment program is the only one of its kind in the city of Portland, and one of a handful statewide that is a state-licensed facility that accepts Medicare or people with no insurance.

(NEWS CENTER Maine) -- More Maine people voiced their concerns Wednesday about the recent closing of one of the state's few residential treatment programs for people struggling with drug use.

Serenity House closed Friday July 13. The home provides medication-assisted treatment and group counseling on location to the 16 men who live there trying to recover from substance use. Serenity House's executive director, Bob Dawber, spoke with NEWS CENTER Maine, but did comment on the record.

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The residential treatment program is the only one of its kind in the city of Portland, and one of a handful statewide that is a state-licensed facility that accepts Medicare or people with no insurance.

Sean McNulty has been sober for three years. He said he owes "everything in his life" to Serenity House. He went in and out of treatment there three times during his struggles with heroin, cocaine, and alcohol.

"When you've got nothing left, nowhere else to go, it was there for me," said McNulty. "There's something about that house when I walked in there that I don't feel anywhere else in the entire world."

There are other residential treatment programs in Maine, from Alfred to Auburn to Aroostook County -- but some only take private insurance, and federal law caps those that receive Medicaid funding at 16 beds.

The Portland Press Herald reported that funding from Medicaid did not meet the costs of operating the house. Dawber would not confirm that information on the record.

"What is the city of Portland going to do now that Serenity House is gone? Is there going to be another place like this?" said McNulty. "It's a travesty."

"It's really hard to find a bed for someone when they need a bed," said Leslie Clark, director of the Portland Recovery Community Center. "When people are ready and wanting that help, every resource needs to be in place so they can get the help they need."

The most recent data from Maine's Department of Health of Human Services from February of 2017 says there are about 350 residential treatment beds in the state. 354 Mainers died of an opioid overdose in 2017, according to the Attorney General's office.

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