Cornerstones of Maine hosts advanced OCD training for clinical leaders

Cornerstones of Maine held a two-day ERP continuing education training at its Biddeford campus for clinical directors and regional staff, with a focus on treating OCD in residential settings. The session is part of the organization’s broader push to strengthen clinical practice and improve care for young adults and families.

Why it matters: - Exposure and Response Prevention, or ERP, is widely regarded as the most effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder. - Stronger ERP training can improve care for young adults and families in residential and transitional settings. - Shared training with neighboring programs may help create a more consistent regional approach to OCD treatment.

What happened: - Cornerstones of Maine hosted a two-day continuing education training on ERP at its Biddeford campus. - The training was titled "Advanced Training in Applying Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD in Residential Settings." - Jeanette Nogales, LCMHC, of The OCD and Anxiety Center for Change, and David Bradley, Ph.D., of Southern New Hampshire OCD and Anxiety Services led the instruction. - All Cornerstones of Maine clinical directors attended. - Clinical staff from Summit Achievement also joined for both days. - Beth Caron, LCSW, CCS, Clinical Director at the Residential program, said the training helps keep the clinical team’s skills sharp and benefits the young adults and families served.

The details: - The training used lecture, role-play demonstration, case presentation and hands-on practice. - Day one covered ERP basics, including how the model works, why it works and how to use it with clients who have a range of OCD symptoms. - Day two included advanced topics such as family accommodation patterns, integrating acceptance and commitment therapy with ERP and differentiating OCD from other conditions with overlapping symptoms. - The final afternoon focused on how ERP works in a residential setting. - Staff reviewed practical issues such as engaging support staff, building step-down referral relationships, preparing families for discharge and helping clients transfer skills to life after treatment. - Cornerstones of Maine said the training also helped its clinical and Rubedo directors build a shared clinical language around OCD. - The organization serves young adults, a population where OCD appears often in its care settings. - Cornerstones of Maine said continuing education is a recurring priority as treatment approaches evolve and client needs become more complex. - The organization plans to use ongoing clinical supervision and case consultation to reinforce the training in daily practice. - Cornerstones of Maine is a clinician-owned behavioral health treatment organization based in Biddeford, Maine. - The organization serves adults ages 18 to 30. - Its services include Residential Treatment, Long-Term Transitional Living and Executive Function Coaching. - Cornerstones of Maine focuses on young adults dealing with mental health, substance use and co-occurring challenges. - More information is available in the company’s announcement.

Between the lines: - The training was not just about clinical technique; it was also about making ERP workable inside a live-in treatment environment. - Bringing in outside experts and a neighboring program suggests Cornerstones of Maine is using outside expertise to strengthen internal standards. - The emphasis on supervision and case consultation signals the organization wants the two-day course to change day-to-day practice, not just satisfy continuing education credits.

What's next: - Cornerstones of Maine plans to build on the training through ongoing supervision and case consultation. - The organization is expected to apply the new ERP framework across its programs for residential and transitional care. - Regional collaboration on clinical training may continue if the shared-learning model proves useful.