Ex-AMHI director to head youth center

PORTLAND – Rodney Bouffard was chosen last fall to be the temporary head of the troubled Long Creek Youth Development Center while officials conducted a search for a permanent superintendent.

The job’s now his for good.

Bouffard’s strong management skills and experience at the juvenile facility in South Portland made him the best choice as superintendent from a strong pool of candidates, said Corrections Commissioner Martin Magnusson.

“He brings people together,” Magnusson said. “He works well with the unions, he’s a good communicator. At the end of the day, he was the right person for the job.”

Bouffard takes over a juvenile corrections facility with long-standing problems. Allegations of mistreatment of residents led to investigations and a lawsuit that was settled for $600,000 in March.

The center has suffered from chronic labor problems and low employee morale, which have slowed down the pace of reforms. Bouffard was appointed acting superintendent after Lars Olsen was removed from the position last October so the state could conduct a review of the center.

Bouffard has an extensive background in mental health and treatment.

In 1996, he was the final superintendent for the Pineland Center for the mentally retarded in Pownal until it closed that year. He later served as superintendent at Augusta Mental Health Institute before going to Long Creek when it was known as the Maine Youth Center.

Bouffard said he was attracted to Long Creek by the challenge of righting a troubled institution. Unlike Pineland, which closed, and AMHI, which was drastically reduced in size while he was there, Long Creek gives him an opportunity to build for the future.

“I love working with the kids and I hope someone will come to me and say, ‘You made a difference in my life’ … It’s a challenge,” he said. “If this were a smooth-running place, I’m not sure I would have jumped at it. This way, it’s rewarding.”