WATERVILLE — Thomas College announces a new master’s program in clinical mental health counseling set to launch in fall 2026 that will help address pressing mental health care needs in rural Maine.
There is a critical need for licensed clinical mental health counselors in the state of Maine, especially in rural areas of the state. According to National Alliance on Mental Illness data gathered in 2025, 71% of U.S. adults ages 18-34 say that the COVID-19 pandemic affected their mental health; and 33.2% of U.S. young adults ages 18-25 experience mental illness. NAMI’s 2025 data indicates that Maine is facing a mental health care crisis, with more than 260,000 Mainers living in communities without enough mental health care professionals. Mainers are 10 times more likely to be forced out of network for mental health care than for primary care, and Maine’s ratio of K-12 school psychologists to school children is less than one third of the recommended national norm.
Vacancy rates for mental health clinicians in Maine’s behavioral health organizations have reached 21% and 45% of independent providers plan to retire within five years.
Thomas College will help fill this gap by offering a new, two-year graduate pathway to licensure in clinical mental health counseling. Offered in a low-residency format, the degree will be accessible to working adults. “With this new clinical degree, Thomas College graduates will be able to move quickly into supporting rural Maine communities,” Thomas College Provost Jeremy Qualls said.
Developed in partnership with professionals at Kennebec Behavioral Health and other regional providers, Thomas College’s new degree is uniquely designed to serve the needs of rural Maine.
“At Kennebec Behavioral Health we are very excited to support Thomas College’s new Clinical Mental Health Counseling program,” CEO of Kennebec Behavioral Health Tom McAdam said. “As a provider of mental health care in Maine, we are challenged with the ongoing and increased demand for requests for our services, and we know that Thomas College’s new program will help to train more professional counselors. This in turn will help our workforce shortage especially here in rural Maine. The need for this program is huge, and we believe the timing is optimal to improve access to care.”
“We are grateful to Thomas College for launching its new Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. Our community continues to face significant challenges in accessing timely behavioral health services, with many individuals unable to secure outpatient counseling and instead seeking care in hospital emergency departments during times of crisis,” Maine General’s Associate Vice President of Behavioral Health Services Shelly King said. “Expanding the pipeline of qualified counselors to serve our region will be a critical asset in addressing these gaps. Strengthening access to behavioral health care in rural Maine will require a collective, community-wide effort, and this program represents an important step forward in building the workforce needed to meet that demand.”
“Thomas College is known for its impact on the Maine workforce. Historically, 73% of Thomas students live and work in Maine after graduation, meeting state needs in accounting, criminal justice, cybersecurity, and more. This program is another example of the College’s commitment to serving the people of Maine and contributing to our state’s thriving,” Thomas College President Jeannine Diddle Uzzi said.
