About Cornerstones of Maine Young Adult Treatment & Transitional Living

Cornerstones of Maine was founded in 2015 by clinical psychologists Dr. Jacob Gelles and Dr. Joshua Altschule—longtime friends from graduate school and college. At the time, both had been working in private practice with young adults for years, and had recognized the growing epidemic of young adults struggling with anxiety, depression, and ADHD who felt stuck in a state of inertia. They observed that traditional outpatient therapy models of weekly psychotherapy sessions were not effective interventions for young adults with executive functioning challenges.

Dr. Altschule began working on a new, innovative approach to helping young adults with failure to launch syndrome — or as he prefers to call it — different stages of stuckness. As his dream got closer to reality, he enlisted Dr. Gelles to collaborate with him to bring the vision for comprehensive young adult mental health treatment to life.

Cornerstones was created to address the growing need for specialized young adult treatment—in particular, transitional living communities that could support the long-term work of building independence. Drawing from their experiences in residential and inpatient settings, Dr. Gelles and Dr. Altschule developed Cornerstones' distinctive approach featuring milieu therapy, executive functioning coaching, and real-world experiential learning to help young adults overcome obstacles to independence.

More than ten years later, they are proud to still work each day as leaders of a dynamic team dedicated to delivering on the promise of their original vision.

Meet Our Team

The Cornerstones of Maine Culture

When establishing their Maine-based young adult treatment community, Drs. Gelles and Altschule recognized that a supportive therapeutic community would be essential to Cornerstones of Maine's transitional living program. They intentionally built a culture within Cornerstones that reflected their own 20+ year friendship: one founded on honesty, trust, commitment, and profound mutual respect. This culture has become the “cornerstone” of their approach to helping young adults with failure to launch syndrome, anxiety, depression, and executive functioning challenges.

The clinical team at Cornerstones of Maine works diligently with young adult clients in both residential treatment and transitional living settings to foster this supportive environment. Their approach emphasizes that meaningful culture isn't accidental; it requires purposeful daily practice—especially when working with neurodivergent young adults who need structure and consistency. This intentional community-building has become a hallmark of Cornerstones' success in helping young adults ages 18-30 overcome barriers to independence.

Our Mission

Young Adult Treatment Done Differently

For over a decade, Cornerstones of Maine has been dedicated to supporting young adults ages 18-30 who need guidance as they step into independence. We believe that growing up isn't a straight line; it's more like a maze filled with false starts, overwhelming choices, and moments of uncertainty. Our mission is to show young adults struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and executive functioning challenges a way forward, meeting them exactly where they are on their journey every step of the way.

At Cornerstones, we take a comprehensive and holistic approach to this process of development. Our continuum of care—Foundation Stone, Stepping Stone, and Touchstone—allows each client to move at their own pace while gaining the skills, confidence, and resilience needed to step into life with purpose.

Foundation Stone

Residential Treatment for Young Adults

Residential Treatment

Stepping Stone

Transitional Living for Young Adults

Transitional Living

Touchstone

Step-Down Aftercare for Young Adults

Aftercare

Our Guiding Principles

We believe that the way we operate as a community must reflect our deepest values. These principles guide everything we do at Cornerstones of Maine:

We create our culture

intentionally through daily practice and meaningful interactions.

We accept everyone

regardless of ethnicity, religion, race, gender, physical features, or sexual orientation.

We regard the privacy of others

as fundamental to building trust and safety.

We are honest, compassionate, and empathetic

in all our interactions with clients, families, and each other.

We are aware of our role

and what we bring to the table in each situation.

We are good listeners

who value understanding before responding.

We recognize that growth requires change

and that change isn't always comfortable.

We believe in healthy compromise

that involves both getting and giving.

We understand that making mistakes is human

but we must strive to learn from them.

Young Adult Community in Maine

Cornerstones of Maine's residential treatment and transitional living programs are based in the vibrant and historic cities of Portland and Biddeford, Maine. We carefully chose this location for its unique blend of urban accessibility, historic charm, and natural beauty. Portland offers our young adults educational opportunities, employment options, and cultural experiences alongside expansive natural surroundings that provide space for reflection and therapeutic outdoor activities.

This setting creates the ideal environment for developing independence while staying connected to a supportive community. While we're based in Maine, our program welcomes young adults from all over the country who are ready to take that first step toward change. Join us.

Clinical Expertise in Young Adult Mental Health

As a clinician-founded and operated program, Cornerstones of Maine brings together a team of experienced therapists, coaches, and mentors dedicated to supporting young adults at every stage of their journey toward independence. Our comprehensive approach integrates evidence-based therapeutic modalities like CBT, DBT, and Motivational Interviewing with real-world experiences, providing the perfect balance of support and challenge for young adults with failure to launch syndrome and other barriers to independent living.

We specialize in helping young adults struggling with executive functioning, anxiety, depression, ADHD, social difficulties, motivation issues, and the transition to independence. Our team members collaborate closely with each client to develop personalized treatment plans that address their unique needs and goals.

Through our decade of experience, we've refined our approach to create a program that genuinely works—helping young adults build momentum, gain confidence, and step into life with clarity and purpose.

Step Into a New Way of Life

Whether you're a young adult feeling stuck, a parent concerned about your child's transition to independence, or a professional looking to collaborate, we invite you to learn more about our residential treatment, transitional living, and aftercare programs at Cornerstones of Maine in Portland and Biddeford.