On Thursday, March 7th, 2024, the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI) and Volunteers of America (VOA) Northern New England co-hosted the first Maine statewide convening of 2024, the fourth in the series. The gathering was attended by 57 professionals from the following organizations:
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- Artivism in Maine – HIIT – Helping Incarcerated Individuals Transition
- Belfast Police Department
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation
- City of Auburn
- District Attorney District 6
- Knox County Sheriff’s Office
- LEAD Support Bureau
- Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office
- Maine Prisoner Re-entry Network (MERN)
- Maine Pretrial Services
- Mercy Northern Light
- New England High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA)
- Office of Behavioral Health (OBH)
- Office of US Senator Angus S. King, Jr.
- OPTIONS
- Penobscot Bay Community Health Partnerships
- Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI)
- Restorative Justice Project Maine (RJPMaine)
- Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office
- Scarborough Police Department
- Sweetser with Sanford Police Department
- U.S. Senator Susan M. Collins
- Volunteers of America (VOA) Northern New England
- Waldo County Sheriff’s Office
- Youth Criminal Justice Board of Victoria (YCJBOV)
Brittney Garrett, PAARI’s Senior Director of Public Safety Engagement and Strategy, opened the meeting by thanking Robyn Goff, Director of Community Justice Programs at VOA Northern New England, for her efforts toward bringing together stakeholders across Maine. Brittney then provided a brief overview of PAARI, highlighting its current law enforcement partners across Maine. She then emphasized the purpose of the gathering, to highlight the great work that is being done across Maine and to offer a space for participants to collaborate.
Following Brittney’s introduction, Robyn offered insights into VOA’s partnership with PAARI, tracing its inception to their initial encounter at the PTACC conference in 2022. Subsequently, Robyn introduced the event’s first speaker, Brendan Cox, Director of Policing Strategies at the LEAD National Support Bureau. Brendan commenced his presentation by offering background on Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) and recounting the practices of the Albany Police Department, his former employer, before the implementation of the program. He emphasized the significance of complementary local initiatives that work in step with LEAD. “LEAD is not the solution to everything, you need to have parallel initiatives so that everyone is communicating and able to serve a range of folks,” he said. Brendan underscored the success of his region’s LEAD program, noting a significant decrease in repeat offenders for police departments and sheriff’s offices when LEAD was effectively utilized.
Following Brendan’s remarks, Jason Trundy from Waldo County, spoke about his experience at Waldo County Sheriff’s Office, where he worked for 28 years. “My only tool was arrest,” said Jason, about the sheriff’s office’s policies prior to implementing LEAD. “This journey started with trying to find additional tools to put in my deputy’s toolboxes,” he went on to note. Jason, like Brendan, also spoke to the importance of utilizing well-developed grassroots organizations in step with LEAD, for utmost success.
Sheriff Patrick Polky of Knox County then spoke at the event, explaining how Knox County was newer to the implementation of a LEAD program, noting their initial involvement in 2019. He explained how his department started its program as a way to better work with their community members.
Tia Poulin, Deflection and Diversion Program Manager of VOA, then took the stage. She began by stating, “Diversion is new to me, but harm reduction is not.” She noted how harm reduction, along with helping those in need, has been her guiding purpose in her professional career. She also introduced Justin Macdonald and Rosie Bowman, new mental health liaisons with VOA.
Natasha Irving, District Attorney, District 6, subsequently spoke about the District Attorney Office’s involvement in deflection and diversion efforts. She spoke highly of the office’s law enforcement partners and the folks at VOA, pointing to their services. She most notably said, “If someone is dangerous, they are usually dangerous because they do not have the resources or services they need.”
Kate Nolting, LMSW, Clinical Supervisor at Sweetser’s Mobile Crisis and OPTIONS, concluded the presentations by underscoring the evolving partnership between local organizations, law enforcement, and VOA. Robyn wrapped up the meeting by answering some questions posed by participants
The next Maine Statewide Convening will be held on June 6 at 9:00 a.m. EST. You can register HERE. Additionally, If you have any input for future discussion topics, please reach out to Brittney at brittney@paariusa.org.
You can watch the entire recording of last week’s event HERE.
Speakers
Robyn Goff, Director of Community Justice Programs, Volunteers of America
Robyn Goff currently serves as the new Director of Community Justice Programs for Volunteers of America Northern New England (VOANNE). Robyn has worked with VOA since 2013 and held various positions at The Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center in Belfast, Maine, serving as Program Manager for several years. Robyn has also held various professional licenses over the years including a Substance Use Counselor, Social Worker and Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician working at diverse types of treatments centers, including, a methadone clinic here in Maine, a suboxone clinic and abstinence-based treatment center in the state of Kansas. Robyn is trained in Moral Injury, Non-Violent Communication and Restorative Practices. She works closely with Waldo & Knox County Sheriff’s Office, through grant writing on implementing programs like community liaison officers, LEAD initiative, recovery coaching, and the opening of their new community-based reentry services office, in downtown Belfast and Rockland, to provide services to those returning to our communities after a period of incarceration.
Brendan Cox, Director of Policing Strategies, LEAD National Support Bureau
Chief (Ret.) Brendan Cox is the Director of Policing Strategies at the LEAD Support Bureau where he provides strategic guidance on the operation of Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion/Let Everyone Advance with Dignity to jurisdictions around the world. Prior to the Support Bureau, Brendan had a twenty-three-year career with the Albany, New York police department, where he retired as Chief of Police in 2017. Under Brendan’s leadership the department was recognized by the Department of Justice as one of the top 15 police departments in the country within the COPS Advancing 21 st Century Policing Initiative.
Sheriff Jason Trundy, Waldo County, ME
Sheriff Jason Trundy began his law enforcement career with the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office in 1994 as a Correctional Officer. During his 28 years at the Sheriff’s Office he has held numerous positions to include Correctional Officer, Patrol Deputy, Criminal Investigator, Jail Administrator, Patrol Lieutenant and for the past 8 years has served as Chief Deputy to Sheriff Jeffrey Trafton. Jason is a graduate of the 273rd FBI National Academy, has served his community as a Selectman, as a board member of non-profit organizations and the Belfast Rotary Club. Jason is committed to providing community based law enforcement services to those who call Waldo County their home. This belief has led to numerous collaborations between the Sheriff’s Office and community partners including non-profit organizations, the faith-based community and treatment providers that focus on identifying resources to address the social issues facing our community such as mental illness, substance use disorder and homelessness.
Tia Poulin, Deflection and Diversion Program Manager, VOA
Tia Poulin graduated with an associate degree in human services from Beal College in 2008. She went on to get her certification in Substance Abuse Counseling and began working as a counselor in an Opiate Treatment Program (OTP). She remained dedicated to supporting those battling addiction and gained her full licensure in 2011. In 2012 Tia began working in community correction with Volunteers of America as a Case Manager at the Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center. Through the next 5 years she aided in program development and building connections with the community. Returning to OTPs in 2016 Tia quickly worked her way through operational management leading to a Regional Director role with oversight of 8 locations spanning 3 states and serving 3,200 patients.
Sheriff Patrick Polky, Knox County, ME
Sheriff Patrick Polky is the current Sheriff of Knox County, Maine and responsible for the law enforcement, corrections, and civil process functions of the county. He has severed the public for over 28 years, with 23 years in law enforcement roles, 21 years in military roles, and 4 years in corrections roles. Patrick is certified in Maine as both a law enforcement and corrections officer and maintains his certification as a law enforcement and corrections instructor. He spends time providing instruction for various courses at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and in the community. Patrick works to enhance the relationships between the criminal justice system and the community. He helps foster connections with, and grow resources for, those struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. He regularly engages with his team and ensures that they practice compassionate accountability when in contact with community members, regardless of their connection to the criminal justice system.
Kate Nolting (Dowd), LMSW, Clinical Supervisor, Sweetser’s Mobile Crisis and OPTIONS
Kate Nolting (Dowd), LMSW-cc, is the Clinical Supervisor overseeing Sweetser’s Mobile Crisis and OPTIONS program for the Midcoast region, encompassing Waldo, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and Cumberland counties. She began her journey as the Waldo County OPTIONS liaison in 2021 before moving into this role in 2022. Kate is an alumna of the University of Maine Orono with a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) and currently resides in Belfast, Maine. Kate’s passion lies in fostering collaboration among social service providers, law enforcement, EMS, and the broader community. She has been thrilled to be a part of the Diversion and Deflection team in the Midcoast and to have seen how it has grown to include so many committed community partners and law enforcement agencies. Kate believes in the transformative power of community engagement and is dedicated to creating positive change through collective efforts.
Natasha Irving, District Attorney, District 6
Natasha Irving is in her second term as District Attorney in Prosecutorial District 6, Waldo, Knox, Lincoln, and Sagadahoc counties. Natasha’s upbringing, along with her undergraduate education in philosophy from Loyola University with Jesuits in New Orleans, instilled a deep-seated dedication to social justice. Under her administration, District 6 strives for deflection and diversion from punitive sentencing to address the root causes of crime and make our communities safe and healthier.