Thanks in large part to advocacy by nonprofits, New Hampshire first expanded its Medicaid program in 2014, making treatment more accessible for people with substance use disorders. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Behavioral Health

We believe that everyone deserves access to timely, affordable, and high-quality prevention, treatment, and recovery supports for substance use disorders and mental health.

Why it matters

Every community in New Hampshire has been touched by substance use disorder, overdose and increased mental health needs.

The Foundation has invested significantly in prevention, treatment and recovery from substance use disorders for nearly three decades — beginning with a gift of $43.5 million from Oliver Hubbard. And we recognize that attending to people’s mental health is among the most critical components of prevention.

The Foundation has supported the creation of systems and infrastructure — including the state’s system of regional public health networks and the Center for Excellence on Addiction Funding helped to launch the nonprofit advocacy powerhouse New Futures, which contributed to the passage of numerous laws, from Medicaid expansion — which gave people access to health insurance that included coverage for addiction treatment — to the creation (and full funding) of the state’s Alcohol Fund and the establishment of the Bureau for Children’s Behavioral Health. Foundation funding has helped draw in hundreds of millions of state and federal dollars to address these issues.

But challenges remain. Despite great progress, in access to treatment and recovery supports, decreased use among adolescents, and increased public funding for prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery, there is still much work to do. And recent cuts and policy changes at the federal level have threatened important progress.

By the numbers

35%

Decrease in opioid overdose deaths between 2023 to 2024, outpacing the national rate of decline over the same period.

187,000

Number of people in New Hampshire enrolled in Medicaid.

134,177

total individuals supported by Recovery Community Organizations in 2024.

5,300

Number of citizen advocates trained in the past five years by New Futures and NAMI-NH to share their personal stories with policymakers on issues related to substance use and mental health.

What we're doing

Thanks to the generosity of donors past and present, we are supporting public engagement and advocacy to inform and shape policy and increase public funding for mental health and substance use disorder services; supporting direct services for children, youth and families who are at-risk for or who have been affected by a mental health or substance use issue; supporting evaluation, training and technical assistance to advance best practices to promote high quality care; and working to improve systems and secure additional resources to advance health and well-being.

A person speaks at a podium. Photo courtesy of New Futures

Supporting advocacy

Support for nonprofits including New Futures, NAMI NH and regional public health networks is helping to engage people in the legislative process to inform and shape policy and public funding for mental health and substance use disorder services. (Photo courtesy of New Futures)

Young people enjoying Otter Lake in Greefield, NH during a Camp Mariposa weekend. (Photo by Cheryl Senter).

Funding services for children and families

Grant support helps provide direct services for youth, families and communities including children’s mental health services; grief support for youth who have lost parents to substance use disorder; financial assistance for kinship caregivers; family peer support for people whose children are in the emergency room due to mental health crises; overdose prevention services; alcohol and drug prevention education for families, and more.

Two women on a couch smile at each other

Supporting technical assistance for nonprofits

Sustained support for evaluation, training and technical assistance is helping nonprofits to provide high-quality behavioral health services.

Informing policy

Foundation staff expertise helps to inform state policy and spending as staff serve on the Governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Other Drugs, the Opioid Abatement Commission and the NH Children’s System of Care Advisory Council.

Short-term goals

Given recent federal and state policy and budget actions, our focus for the next three to five years will be:

Help continue to save lives by supporting harm reduction and overdose prevention programs.
Help New Hampshire navigate changes to Medicaid health insurance, which helps people get essential mental health and substance use disorder treatment.
Reduce stigma associated with behavioral health issues by supporting community.
engagement efforts, advocacy and professional development for providers.
Help New Hampshire maximize available public funding for substance use and mental health services by investing time, expertise and philanthropic resources to support broad stakeholder involvement in shaping solutions to complex issues.
Continue to help build and improve systems of care informed by and in service to people affected by substance use disorders and mental health issues.

A chicken farmer and visionary who changed the curve

Oliver Hubbard of Walpole wanted to do something about the harms associated with substance use in New Hampshire. So he made a transformative gift to the Foundation to change the curve.