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By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

Starting this month, New Hampshire will enforce a significant change to its lead law to reduce exposure in buildings constructed before 1978, which is expected to lower the number of young children exposed to lead hazards.The new section of the law...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

Construction of New Hampshire’s first forensic psychiatric hospital is progressing steadily, with the state targeting an operational start by late 2026.This 24-bed hospital, located next to the existing New Hampshire Hospital, an inpatient psychiatric...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

As construction progresses on the new 24-bed forensic psychiatric facility, designed to offer a secure and supportive environment for patients, the state is preparing to host an informative session this Thursday.The construction of the new forensic...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

New Hampshire’s pregnancy-associated deaths are relatively low, yet a majority of these cases are linked to substance abuse, with mental health conditions often being the underlying cause.In 2022, state data revealed that out of eight...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

Investing in people and culture, promoting thriving communities and improving customer service are three core commitments included in a new roadmap for 2024-25 released by the state’s health department. The plan lays out initiatives and goals for the...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

In one corner of the room rests a collection of perfume bottles and jewelry, while on the opposite side is a towering stack of DVDs. The walls are covered with artwork and paintings, framing a neatly made bed with tightly tucked sheets.This is Denise...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

Jessica Renda didn’t realize that things were about to get difficult when her eldest daughter was discharged last summer from New Hampshire Hospital, a state-run psychiatric facility.After treatment for her mental health illness, Renda’s daughter, now...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

Longstanding deficiencies with the state’s mental health system may have reached a turning point in 2023 as government and industry leaders worked to address issues such as timely access to care and a new investment of resources.One lingering problem...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

In the aftermath of the fatal New Hampshire Hospital shooting two weeks ago, the state Department of Safety is spearheading a comprehensive security review across all state facilities.Recommendations include emergency operation training and...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services is organizing a series of public forums next month to elicit feedback on community-based services catering to older adults and individuals with disabilities.This initiative, funded through the...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

In a disappointment to disability rights advocates, the state Supreme Court vacated a ruling that gave a Gilford student access to previously denied home services when she was under the age of 21 and in school.The court considered an appeal from the...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

Last year’s keynote speaker at the annual conference of the state’s Suicide Prevention Council was removed by police from this year’s event for trespassing after showing up with a sign criticizing the state’s mental health system.Wearing a sign that...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

Karen Privé has been struggling with her mental health since she was just six years old.Now 52 years old, with a successful long-term marriage, cherished roles as a stepmother and grandmother, and a career in research administration thanks to her...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

In a move to restructure New Hampshire’s mental health system, state officials are making investments aimed at eliminating the longstanding practice of boarding patients with mental illness in hospital emergency departments.As part of the “Mission...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

Still two years away, the completion of a new secure mental health hospital in Concord won’t be the right setting for some individuals held in correctional facilities with acute mental illness.“Not all of the patients in SPU [secure psychiatric unit]...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

The intent of a new 24-bed psychiatric facility in Concord is to provide a safe and secure environment for patients – individuals who are currently or would potentially be residing in the secure psychiatric unit of the men’s prison.“Although...

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

Waiting for 11 days in the emergency room was the worst period of Patrick Dowling’s life.Dowling, like hundreds of other patients with mental illnesses in New Hampshire, had to wait in a hospital emergency department for more than a week before...