Support and structure while living your life and working toward achieving
your goals IN the real world, rather than taking a break FROM it.

Program Overview:

● What is it? A non-residential, clinically-focused Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

helping people to individuate, live their lives in a balanced way, and achieve their

values-driven goals.

● Where is it? Resource-rich Portland, Maine, was selected for its coastal location,

proximity to major cities, and natural areas. This small city of 70,000 boasts vibrant food,

arts, music, and sports scenes; a variety of job opportunities, educational and vocational

training options, and an abundance of land and water-based recreational activities.

● What is the approach? Relationship building and a strong, connected community are

key to Onward’s approach to supporting people. Rooted primarily in Acceptance and

Commitment Therapy (ACT), staff help our members to better identify the values they

want to live by and the goals they plan to achieve. Our practices include being

trauma-informed, providing gender-affirming care, and utilizing models such as CBT,

ERP, harm reduction, motivational interviewing, family systems, art therapy, and

transactional analysis.

● What is the goal? To empower young adults to become the best versions of

themselves, while living a more balanced, value-driven life.

● How does it start? Members have the option to get started right away by choosing to

stay in our Guest House while working with staff to find the right apartment that meets

their needs. Individualized treatment planning begins during the admissions process,

and evolves as members achieve and refine their goals over time.

Program Details:

● Participants (“Members”): Our members are kind, accepting, and affirming. They are

also neurodivergent and neurotypical, socially motivated, and looking for community.

They have mild-to-moderate symptoms of anxiety, depression, and executive function

challenges. They are committed to consistently using their medication as directed by the

prescriber. Some of our members may have had prior treatment experiences at varying

levels of care, while for others, OT may be the first step they’ve taken towards accessing

a more comprehensive treatment environment to meet their support needs.

● Clinical Services: Our five full-time therapists provide weekly individual and group

therapy, as well as personalized family work. The schedule includes 16 available clinical

and executive function coaching groups, 10 shared meal opportunities, and bi-weekly

community exploration outings.

● Staff: Our six full-time, on-site employees come to OT with rich backgrounds in the fields

of mental health, wellness, and education. They have a variety of professional and

personal experiences helping them better relate to and support members in their

academic and vocational pursuits. Each staff person has their own unique way of finding

connection, building collaboration, and supporting our members with task initiation and

follow-through.

● The Pine House: Our building is staffed Monday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm,

with 24/7 on-call support available outside of normal business hours. The Pine House

includes over 4,000 sq. ft. of private office space, a communal kitchen, a member

lounge, multiple all-gender restrooms, a large great room for group activities, and

outdoor green space.

● Length of Stay: Standard apartment lease lengths in Portland are 12 months. This

timeline works well for many of our members who are generalizing new and established

skills while building a life for themselves in this coastal community. We have found that

some folks benefit from a “longer runway”, and in those cases, their length of stay can

range between 15-24+ months.

● Life in Portland: Portland is a safe, small, progressive, walkable city. Its attractions

include colleges, art museums, music venues, professional sports teams, an

award-winning food scene, bountiful job market, and diverse recreational opportunities.

Members usually live in the heart of downtown, generally within walking distance of each

other, in one-bedroom or studio apartments.

● Fees: For our current fee structure, please email or call- we’d love to connect with you!

● OT Community: Our staff foster a supportive peer culture where members build

relationships, engage in social activities, and feel seen, heard, and understood by

like-minded individuals. Members typically form relationships with each other and

engage in activities on their own outside of planned OT events.

Contact Information:

● Email: admissions@onwardtransitions.com

● Text or call: 207-233-2401

Frequently Asked Questions