Youth Peer Support Statewide Network (YPSSN)

Redefining Youth and Young Adult
Mental Health Services in Maine

Climbers help each other up a mountain

Youth Peer Support Statewide Network

Make a Referral

Make a referral using our online form or by downloading a referral form.

What is the Youth Peer Support Statewide Network?

The Youth Peer Support Statewide Network (YPSSN) is a new, growing resource open to any young adult in Maine. The YPSSN program is sponsored by MaineHealth Behavioral Health (MHBH) and is open to any eligible young person in Maine, not just MHBH patients.

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YPSSN staff have all self-identified with the experience of mental health and/or substance use challenges and are specially trained in intentional peer support. This is not a clinical or treatment program. Program staff and participants support each other and build connections that help them better navigate the journey to a self-defined, meaningful life.

Both people in the 1-1 relationship work to respect each other and communicate honestly and clearly. The YPSSN supports self-determination, compassion, respect and transparency in all its activities through:

  • 1-1 youth peer support (online and in-person)
  • Drop-in hours (online and in-person)
  • Support groups (online and in-person)
  • Outdoor activities
  • Advocacy opportunities
  • Youth advisory board 

Download the YPSSN informational flyer

Contact Us

Phone: 207-396-7052
Email: YPSSN@mainehealth.org
Mail: YPSSN 165 Lancaster Street, Portland, Maine 04101
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Frequently Asked Questions

Maine residents between the ages of 14 and 26 with a personal history of mental health and/or substance use challenges are eligible to participate. The program is free and no insurance is required or billed. For more information, email us at YPSSN@mainehealth.org or call 207-396-7052 or complete our online form.

 

Explore Youth Peer Support Careers

Join the YPSSN Youth Advisory Board

  • As the YPSSN community grows and develops, we will look to the young people involved to drive the values, priorities, and services. To this end, we are recruiting for youth advisory board members who will attend meetings (currently online) and provide input and feedback on the development of the network.
  • Any young person in Maine between the ages of 14 and 26 with a personal history of mental health and/or substance use challenges is eligible to participate. For more information, please review our flyer and contact us at YPSSN@mainehealth.org. Participation will be compensated.

Make a YPPSN Program Referral

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Program staff will be based in Portland, Lewiston, Bangor and Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Aroostook counties. We are working to expand services to additional areas and accept program referrals from anywhere in Maine. The base locations on the map below indicate where staff will be located. For the county-level positions, participants may reside anywhere in the county. Satellite locations are towns where we expect to have drop-in space available.

 


We are currently seeking peer support staff for full and part-time positions across the state of Maine.

View our flyer

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