Joe Kreisler Teen Shelter

Preble Street Teen Services coordinator Chris Bicknell was featured on the Dr. Ross Green podcast ” Issues in Childrens Mental Health.” Listen to the podcast here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rosswgreene/2013/03/04/issues-in-childrens-mental-health.

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Young people in Portland with no place to stay have a new shelter to turn to. The Joe Kreisler Teen Shelter has twenty-four beds, eight more than the current Lighthouse Shelter. It was also designed to be a shelter, so the teens will have more personal space, with areas to … Read more

As a midcoast Maine homeless shelter closes, another one further south prepares to open its doors. Next month the Joe Kreisler Teen Shelter opens in Portland. The 24-bed shelter, run by the Preble Street Resource Center, is the culmination of a $4.5 million fundraising campaign. The Kreisler shelter replaces the existing Lighthouse Teen Shelter, which … Read more

PORTLAND – Crystal Swain immediately noticed the new mattresses at Preble Street Resource Center’s Joe Kreisler Teen Shelter. “These beds are so much better,” the 19-year-old exclaimed as she sat down for an interview Monday. The $3 million shelter at 38 Preble St. – with its 24 new beds – is set to open in … Read more

BRUNSWICK – The numbers of youth taking advantage of the Merrymeeting Project have remained stable over the past several years, but the age of homeless students taking advantage has dropped in recent years. “For my project, we serve school-age students, predominantly high school students that are couch surfing,” said Donna Verhoeven, director of the Merrymeeting … Read more

PORTLAND – In response to a surge in the number of young homeless people in the city, the Preble Street Resource Center has an outreach team roaming streets and parks, connecting homeless youths to social services. The four-member team visits popular hangouts, such as Tommy’s Park and the camp sites in the woods along West … Read more

Q: I run a shelter for homeless teens. I’m thinking about moving to a “low-barrier” approach to working with youth, meaning that we won’t turn young people away because they’ve been drinking or using drugs. How can I get staff to buy into this change? A: Ingrained in every good youth worker is the idea … Read more

PORTLAND – Facing more than $3 million in funding requests, the City Council will have to make difficult choices April 9. That’s when councilors will vote on City Manager Mark Rees’ proposal for distributing about $1.8 million in federal Community Development Block Grants. Rees is recommending that the money be spent on a variety of … Read more

PORTLAND, Maine — Teenagers arrive at Preble Street’s Teen Center or Lighthouse Shelter for a wide range of reasons. Abuse, sexual abuse, trouble with the law, family crises. But once they show up, none are turned away. “Anybody under 21 who walks through our doors can get their basic needs met,” said Chris Bicknell, director … Read more