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
The NH Citizens Health Initiative (NHCHI) works within heath care practices and systems to improve health, improve quality of care, and reduce costs for all New Hampshire residents. Jennifer Lesieur, Director of Quality Improvement and Corporate Compliance, presented on behalf of CLM at the recent NHCHI Symposium. The presentation was on the use of a variety of evidenced-based Quality Improvement change tools which are in current practice throughout our agency.
Through the use of these tools, meeting structures have become more effective uses of staff time as we have been able to streamline common goals and action steps. We’ve improved follow through and effectiveness, increased creative and collaborative thinking, and improved interaction in the workplace by focusing on working cohesively as teams. We are breaking down siloes of care! We have been able to increase staff investment in new project initiatives, find meaning in change, and critically approach new ideas that promote client whole health wellness with excitement. Through sharing our story of trial and tribulations with implementation of the tools, we have been able to inspire other practices across the New England region to implement the same approaches.
CLM was presented with a Certificate of Recognition from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. Pictured from L to R: NHCHI and CLM Staff are Jean Ryer, Vic Topo, Katherine Cox, Steve Arnault, Jennifer Lesieur, Celia Felsenberg, Jan Thomas.