Our Mission
Our mission is to provide and expand access to quality based integrated care for individuals and families experiencing Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health related issues, offered in a safe, non-judgemental team based setting, where people can grow together in their recovery.
Our History
Crooked River Counseling opened in 2005 on 28 Winter St. in Norway Maine, providing outpatient, group, and family substance use disorder treatment. Over the years Crooked River Counseling grew steadily.
In 2007 CRC added an IOP program and in 2009 Crooked River Counseling partnered with Dr. Craig and Jen Smith from the North Bridgton Family Practice to provide integrated substance use disorder treatment within the primary care setting and expanded services to include referral for patients that needed Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opiate addiction. Thus the treatment model of integrated substance use disorder treatment within the primary care setting was born in Maine.
In 2013 Dr. Peter Leighton of Bridgton Internal Medicine joined the team as an MAT prescriber and began coordinating care with CRC's counselors in his office. In Early 2015 CRC was invited to occupy a building on the Bridgton Hospital campus at 87 South High St. which allowed CRC to expand and provide a wide range of services including co-occurring treatment. Later that year Dr. Eric Slayton of Fryeburg Family Medicine began providing MAT for his patients and CRC integrated into the practice.
In August 2016 at the request of the Hospital COO, CRC opened an office in Rumford located on the Rumford Hospital Campus, 207 Lincoln Ave and began working with Swift River Medical Practice and the Rumford Hospital.Today CRC continues to work to improve and increase access to people in need of substance use disorder treatment, providing services throughout Bridgton, Rumford and the CMHC system
CRC employs both substance use disorder and mental health licensed professionals in order to provide you the best care possible. We focus not only on substance use and mental health disorders but the 4 dimensions that support recovery. You and your counselor will develop your treatment goals in these areas:
• Health—overcoming or managing one’s substance use disorder and symptoms, as well as making informed, healthy choices that support your physical and emotional well-being.
• Home—having a stable and safe place to live.
• Purpose—conducting meaningful daily activities and having the independence, income, and resources to participate in society.
• Community—having relationships and social networks that provide support and friendship,
Catherine Clough-Bell is the founder and CEO of Crooked River Counseling and the Lakes Region
Recovery Center. She is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) and Certified Clinical
Supervisor (CCS) with over 20 years of experience in her profession. She is skilled in leading multi-
disciplinary teams, supervising clinical staff, and program development and implementation.
In 2003, Catherine graduated from Springfield College Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in human
services and obtained her LADC license. She served on the Alcohol and Drug Counselors licensing board
from 2005-2011, serving as Vice Chair the last 2 years of service. In 2009, Catherine was instrumental in
developing the integrated substance use disorder treatment program for office-based medication assisted
treatment in Western Maine, and as a result was recognized by being awarded the Innovative Practice
award through the Co-Occurring Collaborative Serving Maine (CCSME). Catherine has appeared in
many media outlets including Maine Quality Counts, MPBN and NPR. Through her work along with the
late Dr. Peter Leighton MD, she has sought to bring standardization to the treatment of substance use
disorders across the CMMC system. In 2020, Catherine assisted in developing a substance use disorder
treatment program with CMMC’s Family Residency Program. Catherine currently serves as the Chair for
the Bridgton Hospital Lakes Region Community Health Committee, is on the Board of Directors for
Tucker’s House, and is very active in her community advocating for people with substance use disorders
to access treatment, housing and employment.
Catherine grew up in Malden Massachusetts and moved to the safety of Maine in 1992 with her two
young children. Ancestry searches confirmed her feeling of being home in Maine when she found that her
ancestry began in Maine. Catherine married the love of her life Gary Bell in 1995 and together they
founded Crooked River Counseling in 2005. When Catherine isn’t working, she enjoys spending time
with her adult son and daughters’ families- she has 11 grandchildren to dote on that bring her much joy.
She is mum to 4 fur babies, Simon and Theodore and Emma and Winnie. A bit of a dare devil she loves
zip-lining and doing things she has never done before and is always open to new experiences. She enjoys
yoga, dot painting mandalas, collecting crystals, spending time with her grandchildren and gardening with
her husband. She can be reached by email at ccloughbell@gmail.com
Katrina Salmon is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC).
Katrina has been with Crooked River Counseling since 2016
following a history of providing healthcare services and successfully leading teams. She values being part of Crooked River’s mission and is dedicated to assisting the members of her beloved hometown community through the Rumford location
Dr. Lisa Torgersen has been Crooked River Counseling’s Medical Director since Feb 2021. Dr. Lisa Torgersen MD is a board-certified, full-spectrum Family Medicine physician. She also holds additional board certification in Addiction Medicine. She is originally from Massachusetts and attended Simmons College in Boston, MA to study biochemistry. She earned her medical degree at Ross University in 2013. She went on to residency training at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston and Rumford, ME to specialize in Family Medicine. She treats patients of all ages and stages in life and especially loves working with rural populations. She has been part of the Crooked River Counseling team for almost 5 years and truly loves the team-based approach to treating substance use disorders. She believes every patient deserves an unbiased and evidence-based treatment plan. When she is not reading about psychopharmacology or watching gory horror movies, she can be found on a ski slope going very slowly or out in the field with her horses.
Anne Meroney, CADC
Anne offers individual counseling services and DEEP evaluations and treatment. Anne is committed to collaborative client centered treatment that empowers individuals to lead more self-directed lives.
Anne is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in social work at the University of Southern Maine.
Roberta (Bobbi) Mullan MS, LADC, CCS
Bobbi is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor / Certified Clinical Supervisor who has worked in the substance use disorder field for the past 30 years.
Bobbi practiced 12 out of her 20-year Naval Career as a Substance Abuse Counselor. Since her retirement, she has lived in Maine working as a Counselor/Clinical Supervisor in clinical facilities treating dependency issues of all varieties. She performs individual counseling, group and Intensive Outpatient
Treatment. She spent 5 years working in The Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health services developing programs that combat the opioid epidemic for the state of Maine.
Mindy Butler-LCPC, LADC
Mindy Butler is a licensed professional counselor and licensed alcohol and drug counselor. Mindy heads the Women’s program for Crooked River Counseling. Prior to working for Crooked River Counseling.
Mindy worked as a mental health case manager, serving those with persistent mental health issues. Mindy completed her undergraduate degree at Penn State University. She earned her Master’s degree in Community Mental Health at Southern New Hampshire University. Mindy’s primary interest are individual and group therapy that focuses on women’s issues, trauma, and addiction, as well as working with those who have co-occurring disorders. Mindy integrates Person centered therapy with Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and its offshoots, such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). In her off time, Mindy enjoys homesteading and spending time with her family.
Tracey C. Martin – Recovery Coach for CRC's Opioid Health Home Program and Executive Director, Lakes Region Recovery Center serving the Lakes Region area of Maine, since 2018.
Tracey has been married for over 23 years, a proud mother of two, stepmother of four and “Gigi” to her two beautiful granddaughters. She currently resides in the Oxford Hills area.
Tracey studied at Andover College, University of Maine system, obtained a degree in Criminal Justice and attended the Maine State Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro, Maine.
Tracey has attended many trainings such as the Recovery Coach Academy, CCAR Ethics, CCAR CoacherVision through Healthy Acadia/Maine Alliance for Recovery, Recovery
Coaching in the Emergency Department. She is also a trainer for the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy and CCAR Recovery Coaching in the Emergency Department
Tracey is a Maine Can Work Facilitator for the Workforce Development System in the State of Maine. Tracey also serves as a Recovery Ambassador for Faces & Voices of Recovery with the National Recovery Institute.
Peter Leighton, M.D.
Peter is a board certified Addiction Medicine specialist for Central Maine Healthcare with an office at Bridgton Primary Care. He cares for approximately 210 patients in the Lakes Region of Maine with various substance use disorders and prescribes buprenorphine (i.e., Suboxone) to support persons with opioid use disorder in their recovery. He also is board certified in Internal Medicine and practiced primary care medicine from 2006 to 2018 at Central Maine Healthcare and in 2017 was awarded the Larry Hopperstead Award for excellence in patient care. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology magne cum laude at the University of Southern Maine. He graduated from The University of Vermont
College of Medicine in 2003 where his classmates awarded him the Dr. Lamb Award in recognition of his concern and care for the total patient’. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at Maine Medical Center in 2006. He cofounded the Lakes Region Substance Awareness Coalition in Bridgton with
the Bridgton Chief of Police Richard Stillman & Catherine Clough-Bell. He serves on the board for the Lake Region Recovery Center and the Central Maine Healthcare Community Health Corporation Board that is closely aligned with Healthy Androscoggin. Peter is passionate about elevating the care of all persons with substance use disorder at the local, state and national levels and is involved with various activities doing this work.
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Dr. Peter Leighton is the Medical Director for Crooked River Counseling. In Feb of 2021, Dr. Peter Leighton had a re-occurrence of brain cancer and sadly lost his battle on June 29th, 2021. He was a great advocate and pioneer for the continued treatment of addiction in Bridgton Maine and across the CMMC system. He is greatly missed.
Gary C. Bell, CFO
Gerald "Jamie" Butler, LADC