In presenting the award The Acadia Chief Operating Officer Lynn Madden stated that, "Over the years the City of Bangor has supported the provision of substance abuse and mental health treatment in the region. Additionally, the city has demonstrated vision in creating and using the special committee on opiate addiction; and for serving as the applicant for grant monies that would be used to create a network of providers to effectively distribute buprenorphine throughout the region. It is for these reasons and many others that Acadia presents this award to the city of Bangor."

Bangor Mayor Frank Farrington and Bangor City Manager Ed Barrett were on hand to accept the award. In his comments Mayor Farrington pointed to the partnership between Acadia and the city that developed from the need to address the growing opiate addiction problem. "These types of efforts will continue to bear fruit in the future as we work together to strengthen our treatment and prevention programs," Mayor Farrington said.

Dorothea Dix, known as America's Mother of Mental Health, was a shy schoolteacher from Hampden, Maine. Although burdened by poor health due to tuberculosis, Ms. Dix spent the majority of her life in the mid-1800's crusading for better care for individuals living with mental illness.

The Acadia Hospital has sponsored the Dorothea Mental Health Advocacy Award for the past seven years.