Sazha Alexandra Ramos, Administrator of Common Ground Friends and producer of our documentary InhuMAINE, has been named the 2026 Advocate of the Year by the Maine Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW Maine). Chapter President Lacey Sawyer presented the award on October 20 at the NASW Maine Annual Conference at the Samoset Resort in Rockport.
Sazha was honored for producing and championing InhuMAINE, a 78-minute documentary filmed over 19 months among people living in tents, cars, and encampments in Bangor. Since June 2026, she has led outreach for the film to more than 200 legislators, county officials, faculty, and journalists in 17 states. In July, the film was presented to county social services commissioners at the New York Public Welfare Association Annual Conference.
“Social work is about seeing the person in front of you. InhuMAINE asks every viewer to do the same,” Sazha said. “I’m grateful to NASW and to everyone in this film who trusted us with their story.”
InhuMAINE premiered at the Maine International Film Festival in July 2025. It won Documentary Film at the 2026 Bangkok Movie Awards and was selected for the Montreal Independent Film Festival. The film was directed by Rogan O’Donnell, MS, and carries 3 CEUs through Husson University.
Sazha is a U.S. Navy veteran and earned her Master of Social Work from Rutgers University in 2021. She has worked at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill, and at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and has presented on addiction policy alongside Congress, NIDA, and SAMHSA.
Congratulations to Sazha and to all of this year’s NASW Maine honorees.
Bring InhuMAINE to your community. Colleges, agencies, congregations, and community groups can host a screening in person or virtually. Learn how on our Screenings page.
