This new web-based resource is the result of a collaboration between several NH institutions focused on improving the system of care for children and families impacted by mental health needs and/or substance use.
Access to mental health and substance use care is all too often limited and confusing. Finding the right care for oneself can be tricky enough, but it can become even more stressful and deterring for families searching for resources for their children. In a collaborative effort to address this gap in the Granite State, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) enlisted the UNH Institute on Disability (IOD) to develop and launch the NH Children’s Behavioral Health (NH CBH) Resource Center website to alleviate the barriers of searching for information for children and their families in need of mental health resources and care.
The website’s launch comes at a critical time for NH children and their families as research highlights the rapid increase of behavioral, emotional, and developmental conditions among the state’s youth. Results from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Questionnaire show that “44% of NH high school youth reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more, higher than the national average.” In 2022, the National Survey of Children's Health reported that of the state’s 30.3% of youth experiencing behavioral, emotional, and developmental conditions, “only 51.5% received mental health treatment or counseling within the past year.” To compound those rising numbers, over 60% of parents or caretakers who have sought mental health care for their children reported finding it frustrating or impossible.
NH DHHS allocates state funding to address many various state needs, including those critical need of our children and young people and their families. Driven by 2019 state legislation to build the state system of care for children’s behavioral health, DHHS directed funding to the Children’s Behavioral Health team at the IOD to develop the NH CBH Resource Center website to bring visibility and connect the system of care for families, individuals, and providers regarding children’s behavioral health. This multi-organization effort was also in collaboration with the UNH Institute for Health Policy and Practice (IHPP).
“We are proud to be a partner with the NH Department of Health and Human Services as it transforms the system of services and supports for children, youth, and families who are impacted by behavioral health concerns,” shared Project Director JoAnne Malloy. “The NH CBH Resource Center supports training in effective practices for providers across the state, conducts assessments as a foundation for improving services, and has developed a website to connect families and providers to services and training. We are grateful for this partnership, allowing us to be a part of this important work.”
By partnering with various state and community organizations, DHHS has expanded services to address the growing demand for mental health and substance use support. The system has also made notable progress in reducing the number of youth placed in out-of-state residential facilities and has developed a wraparound model tailored for families with young children facing high-risk situations. Driven by the needs of both families and youth, the system aims to keep children at home and within their communities by fostering a collaborative approach to care.
The NH CBH Resource Center website is also designed to help families better understand the state’s behavioral health system of care, which is organized into five tiers of care based on the varying needs of NH youth:
- Tier 1: Assessment, Screening, and Treatment
- Tier 2: Community-Based Services
- Tier 3: Intensive Community-Based Services
- Tier 4: Residential Treatment (Levels 1–5)
- Tier 5: Acute Psychiatric Care
Other partners in the NH CBH Resource Center work include the Behavioral Health Improvement Institute (BHII) at Keene State College, the New Hampshire Chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI NH), and Dartmouth Health.
