Maine’s largest nonprofit behavioral health provider, Sweetser, has entered a pivotal chapter under the direction of Jayne Van Bramer, a seasoned executive whose experience spans both the public and private sectors of behavioral health. As the new president and CEO, Van Bramer brings a multidimensional perspective to nonprofit behavioral health leadership at a time when providers are being pushed to evolve across financial, operational, and clinical fronts.
Her appointment comes as Sweetser—an organization with deep community roots dating back to 1828—faces the same challenges that confront nonprofit behavioral health providers across the country: strained budgets, workforce shortages, and shifting models of care. But Van Bramer sees opportunity in those challenges, drawing from her unique career to guide the organization into its next phase of impact and innovation.
Experience Across Systems
Van Bramer began her career in public service with the New York State Office of Mental Health, where she rose to become the senior associate commissioner for state-operated children’s and adult services. Her tenure gave her intimate insight into large-scale system design, program development, and crisis services—skills that are essential for strong nonprofit behavioral health leadership today.
Her most recent role was in the for-profit world, serving as CEO at Springstone, a psychiatric services company based in Oakwood, Oklahoma. This transition allowed her to sharpen her skills in efficiency, budgeting, and data-driven decision-making—tools she now brings to Sweetser’s nonprofit mission.
“My five, seven years in for-profit behavioral health has really taught me a lot about being able to balance the fact that if you don’t have a margin, you don’t have a mission,” Van Bramer said. “We have to make smart business decisions, which are sometimes difficult.”
Sweetser’s Legacy and Reach
Founded nearly two centuries ago as a residential care home for children, Sweetser has evolved into a vital part of Maine’s behavioral health infrastructure. Today, it provides a wide range of services, including:
- Children and family behavioral health care
- Adult crisis and community services
- Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) programs
- Peer and support services
The organization serves over 20,000 individuals annually and accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance, helping ensure broad access to care for Mainers from all walks of life.
Yet, like many providers across the U.S., Sweetser is feeling the pressure of a strained reimbursement structure and rising costs. For Van Bramer, this is where effective nonprofit behavioral health leadership becomes critical: balancing service delivery with sustainability.
Financial Realities and Hard Choices
One of Van Bramer’s early decisions was to close an underfunded intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) program in northern Maine that had been losing millions of dollars annually. While the closure was difficult, it reflected a hard truth about operating in today’s behavioral health environment.
“Sometimes, we do keep services going even if they lose money—because they matter to the community. If we can subsidize them with revenue from other services, we will,” she explained.
This kind of decision-making reflects a more modern and strategic approach to nonprofit behavioral health leadership, one that recognizes the evolving convergence between nonprofit and for-profit operational models.
“I think the approach to nonprofit and for-profit behavioral health many years ago was very different,” Van Bramer added. “It’s not so different today.”
Addressing the Workforce Crisis
Workforce shortages are a national emergency in behavioral health, with 130 million Americans living in areas designated as mental health professional shortage zones. Sweetser, like most community providers, is directly impacted by this shortfall.
“One of the things I’ve seen in multiple states, which is really apparent here, is the problem with the workforce and recruiting,” said Van Bramer.
The solution may lie in long-term investments in education, incentives, and reimbursement models. Maine recently launched a health worker student loan repayment program, which could prove essential in attracting professionals to organizations like Sweetser. Still, Van Bramer notes that mission alone can’t be the compensation.
“I personally believe that when people go into behavioral health and health care in general, there’s a bigger calling. They want to make a difference,” she said. “But we also need to make sure our compensation structure reflects the market.”
Navigating workforce development is a key component of effective nonprofit behavioral health leadership, especially in rural and underserved communities where the hiring pool is already limited.
Advancing Community-Based Behavioral Health
Sweetser is leaning into the future by expanding its community-based care offerings, largely through its Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model. These federally supported clinics are designed to provide integrated, wraparound services to individuals with mental health and substance use needs.
Sweetser’s CCBHC provides:
- Outpatient therapy
- Substance use screening
- 24/7 mobile crisis response
- Peer support services
- Case management and coordination
The model has been championed nationally, with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act allocating $2.16 billion for the expansion of CCBHCs nationwide.
“We want people to be able to stay in the community. We want them to have some symptom relief,” Van Bramer said. “And we want them to feel like valued members of society—whether that means holding a job, volunteering, or simply maintaining their independence.”
This community-first philosophy underscores how nonprofit behavioral health leadership must be adaptive—not just to policy and funding, but to the real-world needs of individuals and families.
Measuring What Matters
As Sweetser evolves, so too does its definition of success. In decades past, behavioral health organizations often measured performance by volume: how many patients, how many sessions, how many billable hours. Today, Van Bramer says that’s changing.
“It’s more about values than volume now. We used to always report on how many people were coming to us,” she said. “I think now, we really want to know that what we’re doing makes a difference.”
This value-based care approach is fast becoming the new gold standard in behavioral health—and it requires forward-thinking nonprofit behavioral health leadership to drive it forward.
Leading into the Future
Under Jayne Van Bramer’s leadership, Sweetser is poised to become a model of modern nonprofit behavioral health leadership, one that honors its historic mission while embracing the tools and strategies necessary for 21st-century care delivery.
Her ability to blend public sector values with private sector discipline is rare—and deeply needed. With community-based services, integrated care models like CCBHC, and a relentless focus on both sustainability and outcomes, Van Bramer is charting a course that other nonprofit leaders may soon look to emulate.
The path forward won’t be easy, but with thoughtful leadership, strategic decision-making, and a continued commitment to community, Sweetser is well positioned to meet the moment—and lead the way in nonprofit behavioral health leadership.
