Launching a Mobile Health Unit in Portland, Maine
By Cole Fairfield ‘25The MaineHealth Preble Street Learning Collaborative (PSLC) ensures Portland’s unhoused and most vulnerable populations have access to quality, barrier-free healthcare.
I assisted the launch of the CONNECT program, a mobile health unit that focuses on providing psychiatric and substance use disorder treatment, harm reduction services, and essential supplies. I also worked at the PSLC front desk as a health guide, checking in patients, supporting basic needs, and connecting patients with additional services within the Portland area.
I gained valuable skills in de-escalation, patient communication, and the EPIC electronic medical record system. This experience deepened my interest in social work, healthcare with vulnerable populations, and psychiatry. My favorite aspect was connecting with a new community within Portland and forming meaningful relationships with both colleagues and PSLC patients.
Internship funded by the Annual Fund For Career Readiness provided by Yang-Hua Chu P'26 and Wendy Chen P'26.