HOULTON, Maine — Staff at the Northern Lighthouse, a nonprofit organization that provides a wide variety of mental health services, will soon have access to better technology for their clients thanks to a grant from Bangor Savings Bank.
The bank’s foundation awarded a $2,500 grant to Northern Lighthouse to purchase electronic tablets for direct care staff who work with children with intellectual disabilities such as autism.
“We were really excited,” said Kayla Murchison, grant writer for Northern Lighthouse.. “This will really help our program out.”
“Our goal is to work on the skills these students need to help with their lives in the community and their homes,” said Blake Hatt, program administrator for Northern Lighthouse in Houlton. “The tablets will be used both for educational purposes as well as data tracking.”
Hatt said the tablets could be used to provide a more “mainstream approach” to identifying areas in which students may be struggling on a daily or weekly basis.
“This data will help give our staff a better picture of what areas they [students] need help in,” he said. “It will provide a quicker approach to solutions, instead of waiting up to a month for traditional data through paper.”
According to Christine Nickerson, senior relationship manager at Bangor Savings Bank, the award was part of a quarterly review of applications for funds the bank received.
“We were thrilled that this application was not only submitted, but approved,” Nickerson said. “That way we can make a difference in the approach the Northern Lighthouse will now be able to take in providing services.”
The Northern Lighthouse is one of the largest outpatient therapy departments in Aroostook County, with 12 certified therapists able to provide care for adults and children with mental and behavioral disabilities. The organization has locations in Presque Isle, Mars Hill, Caribou, Waterville and Houlton. For more information, visit the organization’s website: http://tnlh.org/.
