Country Manor in Coopers Mills announced it will close on Wednesday, Sept. 1 (Paula Roberts photo)
Potential neighbors have expressed alarm, but the future executive director of a residential substance use disorder treatment facility in Whitefield says there is no cause for concern.
Kristina Simpson, of Sumner, confirmed plans to open the Holistic Sober Center in the former Country Manor Nursing Home in Coopers Mills later this year. Country Manor Nursing Home closed in September 2021. At that time representatives of the home’s ownership cited a preponderance of factors for closing, including years of declining occupancy and staffing shortages.
Rumors regarding the development have inflamed residents, who have deluged Simpson with phone calls and emails, some of which have been extremely hostile. Simpson said she believes some members of the public may be acting with limited knowledge of the plans for the facility.
One post among others on the Whitefield Community Facebook page alleging the facility was going to open in June and house up to 97 “post convicted male felons with addiction problems, ages 18-64,” is not accurate, Simpson said.
“We are not going to take pedophiles. We are not going to take violent criminals,” Simpson said. “We are accepting those who want to change their life. Nobody is coming to our facility on drugs.”
The facility will open with 54 beds, Simpson said. She acknowledged all of the intended participants in the residential program will be actively in treatment for substance abuse, many will be post incarceration, and all of them will be post detoxification. Every resident will be pre-screened and vetted, and everyone will be there voluntarily.
The facility will offer treatment through a comprehensive combination of counseling, education, and activities, Simpson said.
“We are not treating with suboxone,” she said. “Our focus is holistic; it is taking in the whole picture. There is going to be a lot of counseling. A lot of classes, helping them learn to take care of themselves.”
In addition to counseling and classes on subjects like financial planning and co-parenting, the center will have an exit plan for each resident, Simpson said. The goal is to give people who need and want to change their lives the skills, strategies, and tools to do so.
Currently, Simpson is preparing the Holistic Sober Center’s license application for submission to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Simpson said she hopes to finalize the submission soon, but her progress has been slowed by a recent medical emergency in her family and the circumstances surrounding the arrival of a new grandchild.
As of now, Holistic Sober Center LLC has a DHHS caseworker assigned to the company to assist with the license application. According to Simpson, once the application is submitted, the company has a 10-day window to make amendments or supply additional information as needed. Simpson said she is unaware of the DHHS timeline for ruling on the application.
“Right now we are in there cleaning and painting and organizing,” Simpson said. “Because (of) the way they shut down, there were still people’s glasses on desks.”
Once the center is operational, Simpson said she plans to live on site as a residential director with her husband, and she expects to welcome her grandchildren visiting her at the facility. She has sold her home in Sumner and plans to move to Whitefield after the sale’s closing late this month.
“The number of residents that we have in the facility is not going to affect the neighborhood, Simpson said. “This is intended to help people with structure and communication. Also they have to do community service. I think it is going to be a beneficial thing for the community.”
The center will not be materially larger than the assisted living facility that preceded it, Simpson said. She expects to employ fewer people than Country Manor.
Simpson confirmed Holistic Sober Center LLC is a for-profit business and, once licensed, will seek reimbursement for services provided from Medicare, MaineCare, and other private insurers. She is one of a number of investors in the business, Simpson said.
Simpson met with the Whitefield Planning Board in April to update the board on the project and said she is open to the idea of hosting an open house once the facility is closer to opening. The business owners have filed no applications with the town because there is no new construction or change of use proposed.
Whitefield Planning Board member Jen Grady confirmed the board is doing its due diligence to ensure the revamped facility meets local ordinances and state laws, and that the town remains in compliance with federal standards like the Fair Housing Act.
Grady noted the proposed use is legal, and the service it may provide is vitally needed.
“These people are going to be vanned to their jobs,” Grady said. “People who need to work on their GEDs are going to be working on their GEDs … This program is all about all about getting them on the right path so they can be productive members of society.”
Simpson said she is motivated to open the facility because she is personally aware of the damage substance abuse wreaks on Maine families.
“The way I see it is it presents a solution to the problem,” Simpson said. “(With) each one of these people, we are encouraging them and teaching them how to live a normal life, how to break the cycle of addiction.”
