WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) announced today that the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester (MHCGM) will receive $559,634 to expand access to telehealth services for Granite State veterans and low-income patients.

Specifically, the funding was allocated through the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Connected Care Pilot Program that Senator Hassan worked to fund as part of the December COVID-19 relief and government funding bill. The program expands the ability of health care providers like MHCGM to offer connected care services like telehealth to underserved communities. These federal dollars will allow MHCGM to provide remote treatment for veterans and low-income patients with mental health conditions and substance use disorders, which make up more than half of the Center’s 11,000 patients.

“For Granite Staters struggling with mental health and substance use disorders, accessing treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging. This is especially true for underserved populations like our veterans and low-income families,” said Senator Shaheen. “That’s why this federal funding for the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester is so important. It will allow the Center to expand access to critical mental health and substance use disorder treatments for vulnerable patients through telehealth. I’m very pleased these dollars have been awarded and will keep fighting to secure additional federal assistance to address the mental health and substance use disorder crises in New Hampshire.”

“Over the last year, I have heard from Granite Staters of all ages and backgrounds about the toll that this pandemic has taken on their mental health,” Senator Hassan said. “That is why we worked on a bipartisan basis to increase mental health supports, including through telehealth care, as part of COVID-19 relief efforts. I am glad to see this funding go directly into our communities and expand access to mental health and substance use disorder services for vulnerable Granite Staters, including veterans. I will continue working to expand critical telehealth services to help more Granite Staters access the high-quality health care that they need and deserve.”

“Our Granite State mental health and substance use treatment providers have been on the frontlines of this pandemic, working tirelessly to continue serving our communities,” said Representative Kuster, founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force. “A key part of that effort was made possible through the use and expansion of telehealth services. This funding from the Connected Care Pilot Program will help address opioid dependency and mental health conditions in New Hampshire by enabling the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester to increase the accessibility and scope of their services for low-income and veteran patients, and save lives.”

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