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Trisha Mason, M.A., director of the Westbrook College of Health Professions Office of Service Learning, was recently awarded the Maine Department of Corrections’ Challenge Coin in a ceremony on Jan. 26.

Dep. Warden Chris Arbour of the Maine Correctional Center and Women’s Reentry Center presented Mason with the award for “exceptional community engagement by a civilian.” Arbour noted Mason’s work raising awareness of substance misuse and the importance of harm reduction strategies when individuals reenter their communities.

Under Mason’s guidance, 91ֱ����Ƶstudents have had the opportunity to participate in assembling over 3,000 wellness kits for individuals reentering society. The kits, which have been distributed across Maine, have included notes of encouragement designed and written by 91ֱ����Ƶstudents.

"I am certainly humbled to be given this honor by Dep. Warden Arbour, but I also feel this is a shared recognition with our 91ֱ����Ƶcommunity,” Mason remarked. “It has been a pleasure to partner with the Maine Department of Corrections and Wellpath, and I am grateful for their collaboration on this unique and highly educational opportunity for our students.

“Unfortunately, as Maine sees a significant rise in overdose deaths, it is critical that we provide learning opportunities for future health care leaders to gain deeper understanding and empathy for individuals who are struggling with substance misuse or those who are or have been incarcerated,” Mason continued. “Our students have shown incredible dedication to this endeavor, and I am equally privileged to have the opportunity to work with them toward this goal.”