Dear friends and colleagues of community mental health,
The New Hampshire House of Representatives has adopted and narrowly passed the State budget for Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027. The budget process now moves to the Senate, where deliberations are underway. We are hopeful the Senate will recognize the critical need to restore essential funding to ensure continued support for individuals across the state.
This is a pivotal and challenging time for New Hampshire’s Community Mental Health Centers. The funding cuts included in the House version of the budget risk a significant step backward for mental health care in our state.
Please find below, link to a memorandum that outlines the serious challenges we face as a community and the potential consequences of the proposed reductions.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter and for your continued support of mental health services in New Hampshire.
Respectfully,
NH Community Behavioral Health Association
Senior Management Team
Vic Topo, MSW
President, Chief Executive Officer
Diana Lachapelle, CPA
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Patrick Ulmen, MS
Vice President, Chief Information Officer
Steven Arnault, MA
Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
Jennifer Thomas Troupe, MBA
Vice President, Human Resources and Administration
Jennifer Lesieur, MS, LCMHC
Vice President, Quality and Compliance
Kenneth Brown, MD
Medical Director
Laurie Ota, BS
Director, Marketing and Community Relations
Melissa Ballard Sullivan, MS
Director, Philanthropy
Management Team
Michele Harlan, MA
Clinical Director, Adult Services
Amy Izzett, MSW
Director, Integrated Care
Julie Lago, MSW, LICSW
Director, Collaborative Care
Sandra Norton, MSW, LICSW
Director, Child, Adolescent & Family Clinical Services
Kathleen Raymond, BA
Senior Director of Operations
Peter Reinertsen, MS, LCMHC
Interim Director, Acute Care Services
Donald Zavadil, MS
Director, Facilities