Northeast Occupational Exchange, Inc. (NOE) exists to assist persons who are physically and mentally disabled and otherwise vocationally handicapped to maximize their independent living capability, eliminate abuse and dependence on substances and enhance employability and economic independence through the provision of integrated:

• Personal and Social Adjustment Training Programs

• Advocacy

• Vocational, Educational, and Psychological Assessment

• Psychological Services

• Residential Services

• Community Placement Employment Programs

• Substance Abuse Services

Northeast Occupational Exchange, Inc., a licensed mental health and substance abuse agency serving adults, children, and adolescents, began out of necessity in November, 1975.  Dr. Charles O. Tingley, a psychologist, founded NOE.  Mental health consumers were an essential part of the initial program development and incorporation group.  These individuals recognized the need and wrote the mission and bylaws of NOE as they exist today.

"Initially," Tingley said, "We had two or three staff people, all furnished by the Community Education and Training Act (CETA).  Volunteers and University students were another valuable resource.  NOE was an ideal setting where students could complete their training. 

However, Tingley said, "There were still years from 1975 through 1990 where our fiscal budget was below $50,000."  Sharon Greenleaf, CRC-MAC, LCPC, NOE's Agency Coordinator, has been with NOE since March, 1976, and can attest to the many fund raisers that helped keep the agency afloat.  "We had car washes, bike-a-thons, bake sales...anything we could think of," she said.  It wasn't until the early 1990's when NOE received its comprehensive clinic license that they were able to access additional funding resources. 

In the early 1990's, NOE's adult outpatient, community support, day treatment, dual diagnosis, and substance abuse programs and parenting training began to develop and expand.  Children's Services began with outpatient and have expanded to family and community support, case management, after school, summer programs and day treatment over the last few years.  "This is an area of great need and many demands are made on these services," said Tingley.  "Whenever you work with kids you are deeply involved in prevention."  Prevention at all levels has been a priority across NOE's intervention strategies.  Youth and families come with established problems.  Behavioral planning and treatment programming is necessary.  Early intervention and emphasizing secondary prevention efforts entail working with youth, families, parents and adults in a treatment matching methodology.  This helps people through the early clinical needs assessment and goal-setting process and links them to relevant, empirically validated treatment services. 

Child Dina Dinosaur ("The Incredible Years," Carolyn Webster-Stratton, Ph.D.) serves as an example of this prevention effort.  In Dinosaur school, four to eight year olds, along with trained facilitators and the help of videotaped modeling, group discussion, role playing and parent and school backup, learn a range of skills.  Skills include friendship, peer empathy, conflict management, classroom behavior management, and how to do well in school.  NOE's parenting training program (also "The Incredible Years" model) serves as a prevention effort at all levels, co-mingling consumers in an intensive training program with a rich research foundation.

Most of NOE's direct service efforts attempt to apply empirically validated interventions to real consumer problem areas.  NOE's domestic violence treatment efforts closely model the interventions developed by Christopher Murphy, Ph.D. and Erik Scott, Ph.D. (University of Maryland).  The sex offender treatment utilizes important validated efforts in Canada, pioneered by William Marshall, Ph.D. and Yolanda Fernandez, Ph.D.  Our children's summer program staff is implementing treatment applications developed by William Pelham, Ph.D. and following training by his staff at SUNY, Buffalo. 

Each year NOE clinicians attend the AABT (Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy) conference and other research based training sites. The clinicians return with the latest in empirically-based strategies.  In addition, NOE is the leading agency in their county's Dual Diagnosis Collaborative.  NOE organizes and coordinates seven major trainings in Maine.  Innovations in relapse prevention, training in attachment issues, motivational interviewing, and DBT strategies have been included recently.

NOE continues to expand much needed services to many consumers.  We have opened offices in two other locations in Maine (Lincoln and Newport).  NOE's quick access referral, crisis model, and no waiting list policies accentuate the true spirit of prevention at all levels.  Consumers are offered treatment along an extensive continuum from infant to adolescent parenting; from child treatment to teacher training; from outpatient and day treatment to return to work.  Persistence, consistency and timeliness are guiding principals and "we will always exchange interest and motivation for practical knowledge and skills."