[June 21, 2007] Youth Alternatives and Ingraham May Join Forces to Improve Delivery of Service to Children and Adults

PORTLAND, Maine – Jean Nichols, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Youth Alternatives, and Tim Soley, President of the Board of Directors of Ingraham, announced today their agencies have entered into a period of due diligence to negotiate a merger.  “The mental healthcare environment in Maine is changing rapidly. To strengthen our programs and to improve the delivery of services to our clients, we believe coming together will put us ahead of the changing tide,” noted Nichols and Soley in a statement to their respective constituencies.  Both agencies have a long tradition of providing high quality services to children and their families in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems as well as to consumers in the behavioral health field.

 If completed, the goal of this merger is to create greater operational efficiencies and to ensure continued excellence of service delivery, as well as a broadened array of services, to Maine’s children, adults and families.    The combined entity would be led by Mike Tarpinian, a proven leader in the field, with more than 25 years’ experience in the delivery of social services in Maine.

 Both organizations have pledged that there will be no interruption of services to clients during this due diligence phase.

Youth Alternatives, nonprofit social service agency founded in 1972, advances safe, happy and healthy childhoods and positive family relationships. Through its comprehensive continuum of care, Youth Alternatives creates homes for vulnerable children and youth; supports families in need, conflict or crisis; reaches out to homeless youth; and ensures safety by working to prevent child abuse and neglect. Through its programs, Youth Alternatives serves more than 5,000 children, youth and family members throughout Maine each year.

Ingraham, a not-for-profit human service agency, addresses some of the most critical issues in Cumberland County – including suicide, crisis intervention, homelessness, mental illness, and substance abuse – and is a gateway to statewide community resources.  Since 1970, Ingraham has been improving the lives of thousands of individuals through crisis, residential, and support programs. With an operating budget of nearly $10 million, Ingraham employs a workforce of approximately 200.

Ingraham and Youth Alternatives intend to complete their Due Diligence by July 15, 2007.

#          #          #