March RRCC Meeting Minutes

March Recovery Ready Communities Collaborative Meeting Minutes

Our last virtual meeting of the year! 

Featured Speaker – Laura Wargo, NH Partnership for Recovery Residences (NHPRR) 

• NHPRR is the state certifying body for recovery homes. 
• They are one program within Growth Partners. 
• They serve:  
  • Recovery home operators and their peer leaders  
  • People who are seeking recovery homes  
  • Service providers and referral partners 
• They have an advisory board to help guide and inform their work. 
• Statewide look at recovery houses in NH: 
  • 1209 certified recovery beds 
  • 841 male 
  • 345 female 
  • 26 co-ed 
• Levels of support: 
  • 4 Level one homes 
  • 3 Mixed level one and two homes 
  • 66 Level two homes 
  • 17 Level three homes 
  • 1 Level four home 
• Recommended progression for individuals goes from most support (level four) to least support (level one) 
• Majority of homes in NH are level 2, which is run by a peer leader. 
• Certification is voluntary in NH – people choose to become certified because it’s a way to stand out, and show their high-quality standards for residents. 
  • NHPRR certifies recovery homes that meet state recognized standards. 
  • NHPRR conducts interviews, reviews, approves policies/procedures, conducts a physical inspection, and provides training to staff and leaders. 
• NHPRR also has a complaint resolution system. 
  • Concerns or complaints can be made over the phone, by email or on the NHPRR website. 
  • Complaints can come from residents, former residents, family, service providers, or community members. 
• Key aspects of recovery housing & prevention: 
  • Preventing reoccurrence: 
    • NHPRR is focused on supporting people for the first 6–9 months of recovery at minimum, as data shows that is most promising for long-term recovery and sustainability in recovery capital. 
  • Peer support and structure: 
    • Residents hold each other accountable 
    • Healthy routines  
    • Sober living environments 
  • Tertiary prevention: 
    • While there is no formal treatment provided in recovery homes, there is support in place to aid in recovery and safe housing for those individuals. 
  • Reduces recidivism: 
    • Supporting individuals through and post incarceration, as well as teams up with specialized courts such as NH’s Recovery Court system to help set people up for success. 
• Referrals and partnerships: 
  • Find an NHPRR Certified Home 
  • Partners with the Doorway, Recovery Community Organizations (RCOs), community housing programs, and regional public health networks. 
  • Training partners include NH Fire Marshalls, Andrew Warner, NH Technical Assistance Center, and Makin’ It Happen 
  • NH Voluntary Recovery Housing Registry 
    • Find recovery homes eligible for financial assistance and referrals from state agencies using this list. 
  • Residents of NHPRR certified homes can access state funding through NH Doorway and other partner programs to cover some costs. 
• NHPRR versus NHCORR (NH Coalition of Recovery Residences): 
  • NHPRR is the agency who holds the contract for certification for the state of NH. 
  • NHCORR held the contract previously to July 2024 for the state of NH. NHCORR is under the umbrella of the NARR affiliate. They certify houses for their parent company NARR, not the state of NH. 
• Note: While the NHPRR certification is voluntary right now, there is a bill that would make this mandatory. 
  • Senate Bill 298 will be scheduled for a public hearing in the House Executive Departments and Administration Committee. Learn more about what this bill entails and how to advocate for it. 
• To reach out to NHPRR, email Laura Wargo: [email protected].

Overdose Prevention Updates 

• We are seeing the lowest overdose deaths since COVID. 
• Manchester overdose numbers are 50% of what they were two years ago. 
• Not a lot of beds for homeless individuals this winter, so this was a tough winter for a lot of individuals re: overdoses and injuries. 
• Would like to work on an emergency system for people kicked out of shelters & warming stations for next winter to prevent physical health problems. 
• 73 calls for overdose so far this year. 
• 39 Beech St (Engagement Center) is now closed, it is now at 200 Elm St, next to Dunkin’ and St. Mary’s Bank. 
  • Capacity went from 40 beds to 20 beds. 
• For any questions about Overdose Prevention, reach out to Andrew Warner: [email protected].

General Updates/Information: 

• Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester (MHCGM): 
  • NH Rapid Response 
    • You can dial, text or chat online at nh988.com. 
    • ASL Now is active for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. 
    • NH Rapid Response: 833-710-6477 
    • MHCGM provides up to 30 days of stabilization services, connecting people to long-term services and supports after crisis. 
  • MHCGM featured in the Union Leader for January – read more here. 

• Makin’ It Happen Podcast: 
  • New episodes are out now, kicking off season 2: 
    • Connection Conversations (for service providers) 
    • Life of a Teen (youth-focused prevention) 
      • The first Connection Conversations episode features Owen Love and Erica Diamond, talking about about Manchester’s Homelessness Continuum of Care and the PIT Count. 
      • The first Life of a Teen episode features Starah and Lucia, who talked about the phone ban in Manchester schools. 

• Easterseals Behavioral Health:
  • Services that used to be part of the Farnum Center. 
  • Now has integrated Veteran services, as well as offering new and different services, no longer just substance use: 
  • IOP, individual and group counseling, impaired driver program, in-person/telehealth. 
  • New services: EMDR therapy, couples counseling, individuals’ mental health clinical therapy 

Action Plan 

Communication: 

• Shared Google Drive for members to increase communication throughout the continuum of care. 
• Includes: 
  • Upcoming Events/Trainings 
  • RRCC Meeting PowerPoints 
  • RRCC Meeting Minutes 
  • Resources 
  • Funding Opportunities  
  • And more to come! 
• Members took a poll to see how they feel about the shared Drive and what could be added to make it most useful. Please review the shared Google Drive here and email Janelle ([email protected]) with any suggestions or questions. 

Public Policy: 

• SB 557: Kratom Regulation 
  • SB 557 establishes a 21+ age requirement, prohibits child-targeted packaging, requires warning labels, mandates licensing, and bans synthetic versions.   
  • NH Senate will vote on bill SB 557 on March 12th. You can contact your state Senator here. 

• HB 1538: Deceptive Vape Marketing 
  • HB 1538 prohibits marketing vapes that imitate non-vape products, using child-appealing characters, or include video game features. 
  • The House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee voted to send HB 1538 to Interim Study. The House of Representatives will vote on this recommendation in early March. 

• HB 1630: Nitrous Oxide (Whippits) 
  • HB 1630 prohibits the sale of nitrous oxide for recreational purposes, especially flavored products marketed to youth, while protecting legitimate uses (medical, food service, automotive). 
  • The House of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee delayed its committee vote to work on an amendment after the public hearing. You can email your representatives here. 

What’s Next 

• April’s meeting will be held in person once again at the Makin’ It Happen office. Instead of our regular meeting, New Futures will be coming in to facilitate an advocacy workshop that goes over how the NH legislature works, current issues in legislation, and advocacy versus lobbying. 

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 14th, 10am-11am, at the Makin’ It Happen office in Manchester. 

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