Grant to target child abuse in Knox, Kennebec counties

PORTLAND — A $250,000 federal grant will enable the Spurwink Institute to expand its child-abuse diagnosis and treatment program to Kennebec and Knox counties, a move seen as helping 300 children a year in the next five years.

Sen. Olympia Snowe said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant aims to reduce the number of repeat abuse incidents by half.

Harvey J. Berman, chief executive officer of the Spurwink Institute, hailed the announcement, saying it represents “an important day for Maine’s children.”

The institute’s clinical child abuse diagnosis and treatment program in Portland involves a team of experts who use sophisticated medical and psychological evaluations to assess each case it receives.

The team makes a diagnosis, then develops an individual treatment and follow-up plan for the child and the family. The program is coordinated with the Maine Department of Human Services, the state agency responsible for detecting and investigating child abuse.

Dr. Lawrence Ricci, medical director of the institute’s child abuse program, said the program is being expanded to Knox and Kennebec counties because of the need for such services there and because the institute was able to develop partnerships with local providers.

Snowe said that there is “no greater problem, there’s no more vexing problem, more challenging problem than child abuse.”