Our Mission

Agency Overview

TOA works in partnership with organizations and community members to identify and address barriers for individuals and families to thrive and create a strong community fabric. As an integral part of this work, TOA is committed to helping individuals and their families advocate for the resources and support they need to achieve positive outcomes.  TOA has at its foundation three organizations with long histories of serving communities throughout Maine: Ingraham, Peoples Regional Opportunity Program (PROP), and Youth Alternatives. The three organizations merged in 2011 to form The Opportunity Alliance.

TOA is a clinically effective organization and we make a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of individuals each year addressing the root causes of poverty, working with people to overcome mental illness, and strengthening families and communities. During the past five years, TOA has embarked upon a tremendous undertaking – introducing and training all board, management, and staff in the application and implementation of Results Based Accountability™ (RBA).  We employ the RBA framework to assess our impact on our service populations. RBA begins by defining the end result we seek and working backward, step-by-step, to the means of achieving it. TOA is committed to being a data-informed and data-driven organization. Per the Results Based Leadership Group, “RBA can be used by agencies to improve the performance of their programs. RBA can be adapted to fit the unique needs and circumstances of different programs.” RBA is a framework for turning data into action while establishing and using a common language.

TOA tackles some of our community’s most pressing problems: poverty, homelessness, mental illness, substance use, and domestic violence. One of the most challenging health problems facing our community is the rampant misuse of opioids, which has reached epidemic levels. Many of the individuals we serve have serious mental illness that is often complicated by chronic health conditions and substance use disorders.

We work diligently to keep families intact, in stable homes, and integrated into a neighborhood community where all members can thrive and pursue their aspirations. We believe that the pathway to healthier individuals and families is created through an integrated continuum of formal and informal supports that addresses the fundamental factors that place communities at risk, such as poverty, mental illness, high rates of substance abuse, and child neglect and abuse. That's why, as much as possible, we work in partnership with residents to identify and address barriers to community success and place a particularly high value on services that empower families and individuals to connect with natural supports and local resources. To that end, we have developed working partnerships with a broad range of individuals, organizations, and community institutions including schools, faith communities, law enforcement, businesses, social services agencies, and other non-profits.

We are the state’s designated crisis services provider for Cumberland County.  We provide mental health services through our crisis response programs, our residential mental health treatment facilities, and case management programs for children, youth, and adults.  The Maine Crisis Line and 2-1-1 information line provide 24/7 statewide support for callers seeking critical resources in their communities. We are a co-occurring competent agency offering programs for individuals attempting to recover from substance use and mental health co-occurring disorders, and we are a leader in peer-to-peer and parent-to-parent partnering supports and services.  We also collaborate closely with Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Department of Corrections (DOC), community organizations, and cities and towns throughout the state.

TOA is a trauma informed organization and we utilize protocols from SAMHSA’s TIP 57: Trauma Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services in training staff and designing all service provisions. We know that trauma informed care is an organizational structure and treatment framework that involves understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of all types of trauma. Trauma informed care also emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety for both clients and providers, and helps survivors rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.

TOA is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and by the American Association of Suicidology. TOA has recently been re-accredited by the COA through a process involving a detailed review and analysis of our organization’s administration, management, and service delivery functions against international standards of best practice. The standards driving accreditation ensure that services are well-coordinated, culturally competent, evidence-based, outcomes-oriented, and provided by a skilled and supported workforce. Additionally, TOA holds both Mental Health Agency and Substance Abuse Agency licenses from DHHS.

Learn about our Direct Client Support Grants here.

To make a donation to The Opportunity Alliance please contact Lily Lynch, VP of Development & Communication.