Recovery advocates push for better access to detox programs in Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine — According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, more than 22,000 people are treated for substance use disorder in Maine each year. 

Inpatient treatment alone can cost up to a $1,000 daily for patients without insurance.

However, several nonprofits are working to make treatment more accessible, giving more Mainers a chance to break the cycle.

A couple of years ago, Jon Reynolds, who had been in active recovery, relapsed back into substance use disorder. When Reynolds was ready to get clean, there were no options, because he didn’t have health insurance.

“We ended up calling every detox in the state of Maine. Nobody would take me. They had no beds,” Reynolds exclaimed. 

He turned to his friend, Ryan Page, who runs the nonprofit AccessDirect Recovery Network. Page, also in recovery, helped find a bed for Jon at a detox program in New Hampshire, covered by a grant.  

“I think grant beds are incredible for people who don’t have any way to pay or who don’t have insurance,” Reynolds added.

Reynolds just marked three years of sobriety, and is now the organizing director of the Maine Recovery Advocacy Project. The grassroots network works for community and policy solutions to substance use in Maine.

Advocates are now pushing for a bill, LD 514, which they say will expand access. If approved, it would increase MaineCare reimbursement rates for programs, including Milestone Recovery and other facilities in the state that provide medically-managed detox beds. 

“I got lucky and found a detox bed, most people die trying to find them. This bill would create more open beds, more access for people,” Reynolds explained.

The bill would raise the current MaineCare reimbursement rate for detox beds from $426 to a little more than $594 daily. This additional funding could allow detox programs to expand and save tax dollars.

“When people are not able to access treatment, they are getting arrested and going to jail and detoxing in jail, and that is also costing us money,” Page explained.  

RELATED: ‘They found me a way to live’ Maine nonprofit connects people to recovery treatment

Ryan and his wife, Cynthia, run AccessDirect Recovery Network out of their home in Vassalboro. The couple and a team of volunteers answer 900 calls monthly, connecting people to a network of resources, from residential treatment beds to self-help meetings. 

The nonprofit plans to move to a new location in Biddeford in April. It also sponsors the annual Black Balloon Day at the Rock Church in Bangor. The event, which will be held on Saturday, March 8, is a tribute to Mainers, who lost their battle with addiction. It also aims to help those trying to break the cycle. 

“Celebrate that life, it was powerful, and it is worth remembering,” Page said. 

Advocates say at the same time there is still more work to be done. While there has been a more than 30% decline in fatal drug overdoses in Maine over the past two years, overdose deaths are still averaging more than one a day. In 2024, the total deaths were 490.

“We still have work to do, it’s bittersweet to remember those people,” Page said.

Advocates say that with even one life lost, it is still one too many.  

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, you can call 211, the Maine Statewide Crisis Hotline at 1-888-568-1112, or AccessDirector Recovery Network at 207-482-3835.

A hearing on LD 514 will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, March 10 before members of the legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee.

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