The state’s largest halfway-house chain for the mentally ill had just hired a new executive director as a staffer was knifed to death in cold blood.
Shalom House of Portland announced on April 30 it was promoting its clinical director to the top management spot – executive director.
Abigail Spadone will succeed Mary Haynes-Rodgers, the $155,000-a-year director who is retiring after 18 years.
Shalom House first hired Spadone in 2017 as residential treatment director, promoting her two years later to clinical director.
The facility has just advertised seeking applications for the $100,000 position Spadone is vacating.
The administrative shuffle comes as the house staff is reeling from the brutal murder of their program director in the rear hallway of one of its group homes.
Just four days after Spadone was promoted, Marlene McNeill, 40, of Gorham died at a Portland hospital after being stabbed while at work.
Armando Javier Negrete, 40, a Shalom House resident, was charged in connection with her murder just hours later.
The now-$38 million nonprofit, opened in 1972, provides services to adults living with severe mental illness including group homes, transitional and treatment.
Judging from employee reviews on Indeed.com, the newly hired executive director has a mess on her hands beyond a staffer’s murder.
Employees have reported tense work environments, understaffing, and a lack of adequate support when dealing with clients, leading to high stress.
Predictably the reviews are anonymous so hard to verify.
The reviews frequently claim that leadership is “disengaged or ineffective.”
Burnout is reportedly a major concern, causing high staff turnover.
Some employees cited inconsistent communication and disorganization within the organization.
The job ad for Spadone’s soon-to-be-hired successor says Shalom House officials are “committed to delivering high-quality, person-centered care across all of our programs.”
The new clinical director will “serve as the key clinical leader of the organization – providing vision, oversight, and guidance for all clinical services and staff,” the ad says.
“This role is ideal for a seasoned clinician who is both strategic and hands-on, and who values collaboration, quality, and continuous improvement.”
