Staff Writer

 The Rev. Robert Howes of Kennebunk thought no one would remember a controversial program he helped start more than 50 years ago.

He was wrong.

The program Howes began in 1963, Child and Family Guidance, has grown into Counseling Services Inc., employs more than 300 people and serves more than 7,000 children, adults and families in York and Cumberland counties each year.

The organization honored its founder July 8 by presenting him the eponymous Rev. Robert Howes Award before a crowd of more than 200 friends, family and CSI staff at its Saco headquarters.

“I’m rather surprised really that 50 years on, that long ago, it’s still regarded as being that important,” Howes said.

Howes’ legacy at CSI was far from common knowledge, even among those who work at the organization. His role as founder only surfaced after the organization decided to research its roots as part of its anniversary.

While the acknowledgement may be belated, CSI’s spokesman, Steve Price, said Howes has helped a great number of people in the community.

“It’s amazing how many people he has reached,” Price said.

Jeannine Lepitre, who leads CSI, said if not for Howes, many people at the award ceremony would not be happy, healthy individuals.

“We wouldn’t be here without him. It takes visionary people to take a risk,” she said.

One of those people is 32-year-old Alexander Kaminsky, who has used CSI’s services since he was 21. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was younger and has battled alcoholism, he said.

“How has the program helped me? I don’t know where to start – it’s helped everything,” Kaminsky said. “I learned living skills, how to do the laundry and preparing meals. They helped me understand why I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror.”

Now Kaminsky is helping raise his two children and has a business painting murals.

Howes said he first realized the mental health field was lacking support in the area while ministering at South Church in Kennebunkport in the 1960s.

“It’s quite usual that ministers, priests and teachers are the first people to know people are dealing with a problem,” Howes said.

Howes became interested in counseling people in his church after he attended Harvard Divinity School. Training then didn’t focus as much on counseling, so he went to Boston University to earn his master’s degree in psychology and pastoral care.

When Howes set out to find funding for the service he found many willing to help, including Dr. Linwood Brown, then the director of Sweetser, a residential treatment center for emotionally distressed children.

At the time, Howes said, there was a stigma related to mental health problems. While the request for funding from town governments in Arundel, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Saco and Biddeford was successful, it wasn’t easy.

“Fortunately those of us encouraging this had enough credit to persuade people to fund the service,” Howes said.

The small service was up and running soon after funding was secured, he said. It quickly became very busy. Howes said its appeal was a policy to serve anyone who sought help. No one was turned away. Howes said he wanted everyone to get the kind of service they needed, so he used a sliding scale for patient payments.

Today, CSI provides support, psychiatric care, outpatient counseling and substance abuse help and 24-hour crisis response service.

In addition to founding York County’s first mental health service, Howes also helped found Kennebunkport Emergency Medical Services and volunteered as an emergency medical technician with the service for 17 years.

At one time he also was a firefighter in town and more recently debriefed emergency service personnel after stressful situations. Unfortunately he had to quit after he developed hearing problems.

“I didn’t want to ask anyone to repeat themselves after telling their stories,” Howes said.

After 34 years of ministry at South Church, Howes retired in 1989. Soon after he started another 10-year project, bringing pastoral care of hospice services in southern Maine and helping oversee the training of hospice caregivers.

Howes’ wife, Christine, said the ministry never stops. The couple had trouble keeping their invitation to the award ceremony on their mantle because they kept bringing it down to show guests.

“What this award teaches us is that a group of people who have no special ability but have a strong interest in developing some kind of service can make a considerable consequence for the future,” Howes said.

The Rev. Robert Howes Award will be given out annually to someone who demonstrates outstanding work in the field of mental health.

Staff Writer Suzanne Hodgson can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 233.