Police chiefs in Buxton, Gorham, Windham and Westbrook are collaborating on a program to help residents recover from opioid addiction.

The Westbrook Recovery Liaison Program is funded by a state grant to help participants pay for basic needs while recovering from addiction.

Danielle Rideout, the program’s recovery liaison, will work with the Cumberland County Jail, Westbrook’s Community Approach to Stopping Heroin coordinator and representatives from Grace St. Services, who will host a weekly opioid treatment group in the jail. Rideout will also work with police officers and community partners in each town to identify participants for the program.

Rideout will assess participants needs – such as housing, counseling, medical services, job training – and connect them with local resources.

Organizers said that although the program is not primarily focused on getting participants into treatment, it will work with local treatment programs when openings are available, including medication-assisted treatment programs.

As part of the grant program, the Westbrook Police Department will host a 30-hour recovery coach training by the Maine Alliance for Addiction Recovery in March. Each police department and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office will send at least one officer to the training.


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