Resources for Community Care + Response to Lewiston Tragedy

From Oct 26, 2023: The MANP team is deeply saddened by the mass shooting that occurred last night in Lewiston. We have spent the day connecting with and listening to our members in the Lewiston-Auburn community and across the state and country whose hearts are also heavy with fear and grief. 

Our thoughts are especially with the victims, their families and our colleagues on the front lines of the response to this violence. MANP’s team stands ready to support the many organizations that are working to heal, rebuild and strengthen Maine’s communities in the wake of this tragedy.

Current: Below we are compiling resources both offered by, and available to, Maine’s nonprofit community. We will continue to update this post as additional information and resources evolve. 

Taking Care of Yourself

• Maine Crisis Line, 711 or 1-888-568-1112
  • Guidance on Language Access and Interpretation at Maine Crisis Line/988:  
  • If an interpreter/cultural broker/CHW is present with a caller at the time they call, they are welcome to identify themselves as an interpreter and that they are calling on behalf of a caller who needs interpretation. No interpreter certification is required. 
  • If the caller needs an interpreter and there is not one present with them at the time of their call, they can let the Crisis Call Specialist (CCS) know the language that they speak and the CCS will conference an interpreter service via the phone and can proceed with the call once the interpreter is on the line. They will conference the caller into the call while they are waiting to be connected with the interpreter service. 
• Disaster Distress Helpline - Call or text 1-800-985-5990. This toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 for people  experiencing emotional distress or other mental health concerns related to natural or human-caused disasters. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing and for whom American Sign Language (ASL) is your primary or preferred language, use your videophone-enabled device to call 1-800-985-5990 or click on “ASL Now” at disasterdistress.samhsa.gov to be connected with a DDH crisis worker fluent in ASL.
• National Alliance of Mental Health Maine (NAMI), 1-800-464-5767 & Press #1
• StrengthenME Helpline offers free stress management and resiliency resources to anyone in Maine experiencing stress reactions from 8a.m. to 8p.m., seven days a week. StrengthenME can help people develop coping strategies before emotional challenges escalate into more serious mental health problems.
• Clinicians, educators and first responders can call 1-800-769-9819: The FrontLine WarmLine offers free support services to help these professionals manage the stress of responding to disasters from 8a.m. to 8p.m., seven days a week
• Intentional Warm Line (Maine based),1-866-771-9276, Mental health peer-to-peer hotline for adults ages 18 and older
• Maine Association of New Americans offers peer support in English, French and Portugese. 
• MANP’s Member Directory of mental health providers
• The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text or call 988
• NAMHSA National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, Confidential free help, from public health agencies, to find substance use treatment and information
• Sweester PromiseLine 1-800-434-3000, behavioral health nonprofit that provides evidence-based treatment, support and hope through a statewide network of community-based mental health, recovery, and educational services.  
• Mental Health Resources for the LGBTQ+ community
• Disability Rights Maine's resources
• Maine Association for the Deaf resources 
• The Answer to Caregiving Burnout with Ai-Jen Poo
• *Free community acupuncture to help treat trauma offered by L/A Community Acupuncture every Sunday 10am-5pm, 223 Lisbon Street, Lewiston. Schedule your 30 minute session here. 

Taking Care of Family

• Family Assistance Center, Lewiston Armory, 5 Central Avenue. Hours: 10am-7pm daily. A space for victims and their support persons to gather so they don’t have to make multiple stops as they seek assistance. The space is also open for those individuals who were present at the shooting sites, but not physically injured.   
• Community Mental Health Center, Ramada Inn by Wyndham Lewiston Hotel and Conference Center
  490 Pleasant St. Lewiston. A space for mental health assistance for the larger community. For more information, please visit the City of Lewiston’s Facebook page.    
• NAMI Maine Teen Text Support, 207-515-8398, for ages 13-23
• Teen Line, Text "TEEN" to 839863, highly trained teen listeners provide support, resources and hope to any teen who is struggling 
• The Center for Grieving Children, (207) 775-5216. Free bereavement support groups for children, their families and caregivers. Their online resource library.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Maine Resilience Building Network Community Resources
• Meet the Helpers, a public media initiative designed to introduce children to community helpers and practice emergency preparedness
• Helping young children feel safe and cope with grief, from the makers of Sesame Street
• How to Support a Child After a Tragedy, The Center for Grieving Children
• Tips for Talking with Children About Violence, The National Association of School Psychologists 
• Talking to Kids About Gun Violence, Nemours Kids Health
• Resources for Schools and for Talking to Children about Gun Violence, Maine Department of Education
• An Age by Age Guide to Talking to Children About Mass Shootings, The New York Times
• How to Talk With Kids About Tragedies & Other Traumatic News Events, American Academy of Pediatrics
• Helping Children Cope and Adjust After a Disaster, American Academy of Pediatrics
• Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting, American Psychological Association
• Restoring a Sense of Safety in the Aftermath of a Mass Shooting: Tips for Parents and Professionals, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Association (SAMSA)
• Free multilingual trauma resources, the Child Mind Institute
• Building resilience in children, HealthyChildren.org
• Resources compiled by Maine pediatricians (From the Maine Chapter of the Academy of Pediatrics)

Taking Care of Your Team - Workplace Resources

• What Employers Should Know About Trauma in the Workplace, KMA
• Supporting Employee Mental Health After Mass Shootings, Health Action Alliance
• Vicarious Trauma Toolkit, Office for Victims of Crime - developed on the premise that exposure to the traumatic experiences of other people—known as vicarious trauma—is an inevitable occupational challenge for the fields of victim services, emergency medical services, fire services, law enforcement, and other allied professionals; however, organizations can mitigate the potentially negative effects of trauma exposure by becoming vicarious trauma-informed. 
• Toolkit: Trauma-Informed Workplaces, Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy & Practice
• StrengthenME
• Resources for small businesses that have been impacted by the lock downs. The LA Metro Chamber is coordinating with State and Federal resources to identify businesses negatively impacted by the closures due to the tragedy in Androscoggin County. They will be offering information and more financial resources in the coming days.
• Dealing with Employees in Crisis, SHRM
• Responding Prudently After a Shooting, SHRM
• Strategies for Preparing to Deal with Crisis in the Workplace, FordHarrison 
• Unmasking the Silent Impact of Trauma in Nonprofits, Blue Avocado

Taking Care of Community - Where + How to Give Support

• Red Cross of Central Maine & the Red Cross of Southern Maine are sending resources to the region for immediate response, including licensed mental health care, condolence care and counseling, and other critical supports
• Maine Community Foundation's Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund, a registered 501(c)3, has created the Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund to address current and emerging needs associated with this tragedy. With MaineCF as a conduit, 100% of every dollar donated will be allocated to people impacted and the organizations that will help guide Lewiston-Auburn through the process of healing.  
• United Way of Androscoggin, covering the Lewiston region. Their Community Fund is used to support community partners providing mental health services and other critical needs
• LA Metro Chamber Foundation - Specify Foundation in the drop-down. All donations will be collected and shared with organizations responding to the greatest need and supporting EMS workers
• Maine Philanthropy Center offers resources to guide your philanthropic response
• Campaign for Ending Hunger's Food Assistance Program to feed first responders and other community organizations helping to get food in the hands of those in need
• Restaurant/Business Food Drive to feed first responders, law enforcement and media crews
• Central Maine Medical Center Compassionate Care Fund for Trauma Response and Support. For more ways to give to the CMMC Compassionate Care Fund, including gifts of stock, please contact call 207-795-2685 or email giving@cmhc.org.
• OneLewiston, donations platform established by the City of Lewiston for neighbors near and far to support families and victims. Cash donations are being accepted at Androscoggin Bank locations as well. 

Where to Find Information

• City of Auburn
• City of Lewiston
• Western Maine Transportation
• Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office
• Sun Journal Live Updates Page
• Mass Shootings, The Center for Disaster Philanthropy

• Maine Calling, 10/26 Episode  with Jaclyn Schildkraut, executive director, Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium, Rockefeller Institute of Government; she is a national expert on mass shootings & Amy Cohan, vice president of Outpatient & Community Services, Spurwink
• Maine Calling, 11/29 Episode with Shanna Cox president & CEO, Lewiston/Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Marissa Moreau teacher and president, Auburn Education Association;
  Travis Brennan attorney handling cases associated with the Lewiston shooting, Berman & Simmons 

Closing Thoughts 

In closing, we wanted to amplify these wise words from Tree Street Youth, a nonprofit based in Lewiston.