Allison Pringle-Bennett, LCSW
B.A. Haverford College; Psychology Major with a concentration in Feminist and Gender Studies
Masters of Social Work (M.S.W.) University of New England
I have always been drawn to the field of social work and the social work values of human dignity, equity and social justice. I believe in the power of authentic relationship to encourage and foster meaningful change and consider myself incredibly privileged to do this work. My career began in Philadelphia working in the domestic violence field, before moving to Maine to pursue a job doing work with children and families in a case management role. In my graduate work at UNE I had the opportunity to work in a school setting, and knew I wanted to come back to this work someday. Since then, I have worked with adolescents and families in a variety of roles, including serving as the Zenith clinician since 2008 and the Rising Tide clinician in 2013-2014. The last six years have seen me in private practice, where I continued to primarily focus on work with adolescents and young adults. I am thrilled to be back working in a school setting and with such a talented and committed group of professionals. Outside of school you could find me hiking in the Camden Hills or up in Acadia with my husband, my three kids, and my dog, Sugar, baking, reading, or somewhere by the ocean. One of the greatest decisions I ever made was to move to the coast of Maine and I am grateful every day that I get to live and work in a place of such natural beauty.
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change” -Carl Rogers
Nicole Hatch
Nicole Hatch has worked in a variety of educational settings addressing the mental health needs for students for 14 years. She has been an Educational Technician III in a day treatment program, Licensed Clinical Practicing Counselor, a School Counselor, and now works under the title of Student Support Coordinator. She also has worked with the Maine School Counselor Association to create state wide social emotional models for school counselors to implement, and served on their board in various roles for close to a decade.
Educationally, she graduated from Rockland District High School in 2003, University of Maine at Orono in 2008 with a BA in Psychology, 2010 with a Masters in Counselor Education, 2021 with a certificate for an Assistant Building Administrator (045), and is now enrolled in an Educational Leadership doctorate program
Lauren Bateman
Lauren Bateman is a recent Maine resident and has had cyclical depression since she was a teenager. She works in international humanitarian response managing information and data, and is currently a PhD student in systems engineering. Morning walks in the woods with her giant dog, Haring, are currently her favorite (of many) depression management tool.
Rachel Wilcox
Rachel Wilcox is a pediatric nurse practitioner who has worked in the community since 2010. She is passionate about meeting the mental health needs of her patients, starting from birth. An advocate for early intervention and strong postpartum support, she seeks to educate families about how to best support their children. She lives in Union with her husband and two children.
Rebecca Kurtz
As a person in long term recovery from substance use and other mental health challenges, Rebecca Kurtz is the Peer Recovery Manager at NAMI Maine. In this role she supports female residents at the Windham Correctional Center, facilitates Suicide Prevention workshops, supports communities after a suicide or other tragic loss, and facilitates Mental Health First Aid workshops throughout the State. For 20 years prior to joining the NAMI team she worked as an educator, an advocate, and a grant writer to cultivate and maintain healthy and economically sustainable communities. Her interest in supporting Mainers has allowed her to live in communities throughout the State, from Portland to Rangeley and towns in between.
For more than 30 years Rebecca has been passionate about eliminating stigma and empowering people in recovery through equitable access to supports. She believes that everyone deserves a second chance and knows firsthand that when we approach others with hope, compassion, and respect, we open the door to real growth and positive change. Rebecca believes that key to dismantling systemic stigma and associated discrimination is to share our stories with dignity and without shame; she is honored to share her story in this forum and hopes that it will help others feel empowered and less alone.