Kudos: Christine Berry retires after changing Maine’s mental health landscape

LEWISTON — Last week, Christine Berry sat through a series of job interviews, part of a team effort to find a replacement for the position she’s held for the past decade.

As he prepares to retire after 35 years in the behavioral health field, he said it’s bittersweet.

Berry, the director of the Looking Ahead Clubhouse, a program for adults with mental illness, has certainly made a mark in the field of mental health in Maine. He is responsible for establishing three clubhouse programs across the state, based on an international rehabilitation model that prioritizes social and educational wellness and employment opportunities.

Berry said she believed in the clubhouse model because of its emphasis on reducing the stigma surrounding mental health. She said that she has been successful because of “the supportive relationships that are formed in the clubhouse communities.”

“We teach, advise, guide and support others to reach their full potential and live happy and fulfilling lives,” he said. “I have had the honor and privilege for the past 25 years to work with the kindest, most compassionate and driven people.”

Berry said last week that she is “definitely excited” to be leaving work and her career in mental health, but said she is “excited to pursue other opportunities and the next chapter of my life.” She and her husband recently finished building a house in Florida, which also coincided with her husband getting a new job there.

Berry graduated from the University of Maine Farmington in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation and immediately began working in the mental health field.

She spent the first nine years of her career helping people with mental health disabilities find jobs, but Kennebec Behavioral Health hired her in 1996 to start Maine’s first clubhouse program, High Hopes Clubhouse in Waterville. In 2002, she opened the Capitol Clubhouse in Augusta, and in 2012, Kenebec Behavioral Health asked her to start the third clubhouse in Maine: the Looking Ahead Clubhouse in Lewiston. A fourth, the Village Clubhouse, is in Topsham.

A recent statement from Clubhouse International officials acknowledged Berry’s retirement and his role in growing clubhouse programs in Maine.

“The results of the Looking Ahead Clubhouse, as well as other Maine Clubhouses, served as inspiration for other states looking to emulate the employment rates and other ways it has dramatically improved the lives of members,” the release said.

Jason Lavoie, who has been a member of the Looking Ahead Clubhouse for seven years, said Berry’s impact on Lewiston and Maine cannot be overstated.

She said that in addition to running the show, she truly cares about the people she works with, whether it’s finding a last-minute tie for a job interview or a bus pass for a member to get to work.

Lavoie is an educational technician who has worked for several years with children with special needs in Lewiston and Auburn. He has also been involved in local politics, running for a seat on the School Committee in 2021.

“She has been there for our members,” he said. “She is a compassionate human who believes that a person is not defined by mental health etiquette.”

Tom McAdam, CEO of Kennebec Behavioral Health, said, “We are so fortunate that Christine has made a difference in the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of people as Clubhouse Director. She has been able to help people bridge employment and a productive life while, at the same time, facing the challenges that sometimes come with mental health issues.”

Berry said the job has also brought her back. She has celebrated with members as they graduate from high school or college, find a job, move into a new apartment, get a driver’s license and more, she said.

“We celebrate everything in the clubhouse, which is what makes working in a clubhouse such a wonderful place,” he said.

When asked why she has been involved in mental health work for so long, she said she realized long ago that not everyone experiences positive and supportive education. So, she just wanted to help.

“I have a reputation as a cheerleader, in fact I was a cheerleader for six years in school, so I wanted to help others recognize their strengths, talents and abilities rather than focus on their mental illness,” she said.