Bob Fowler became the Executive Director of the Milestone Foundation in 2014.
The opioid epidemic in Maine is worsening, with daily deaths being reported in the newspapers. Fortunately, the Milestone Foundation is at the forefront of the battle with critical programs for those at risk at their Portland and Old Orchard sites. Milestone operates Maine’s only specialized substance use disorder emergency shelter. Their Homeless Outreach and Mobile Engagement (HOME) Team is who the police departments call first, as profiled by the Portland Press Herald (pressherald.com/media/gallery/milestone-foundation-home-team/).
The mission of the Milestone Foundation is to provide the best quality of services to empower individuals with substance use and behavioral health disorders to attain stability, dignity, recovery and an enhanced quality of life. The organization offers emergency shelter, medically managed detoxification, and long-term treatment in Portland and Old Orchard Beach, Maine. Their detox program is staffed by nurses and CNAs 24/7 and is overseen by a physician.
Bob has over 25 years of experience in behavioral health treatment and administration. He earned his MSW degree from the University at Albany. He earned a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration, with a concentration in Financial Management, from the Muskie School at the University of Southern Maine, and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Vermont. Bob’s professional experience includes various clinical positions, directing a mobile crisis team, and leading a number of nonprofit behavioral health programs throughout the northeast. He served on the Treatment Task Force of the Maine Opiate Collaborative, and was appointed to the Maine legislature’s Task Force to Address the Opiate Crisis in the State. Bob believes that Milestone serves a critical need in the community by providing compassionate, competent care to individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction, and he feels honored to work with Milestone’s staff and clients.
This discussion is not to be missed. The opioid crisis affects every Portland neighborhood and resident, and Bob is perhaps Maine’s leading authority on what is happening, what the future holds, and what we can do to help.
In his spare time, Bob is a guitar player, a master gardener, a beekeeper, and an adjunct professor at USM.