U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) visited the new White Horse Recovery Center location in Berlin, New Hampshire, this week. White Horse Recovery offers a behavioral and mental health counseling program, with additional locations in Ossipee, Conway and Littleton. The new Berlin location will partner with other wraparound services as part of a larger initiative to address substance use disorder in Granite State communities.

“The North Country has been hit hard by the substance use disorder crisis, and having places for folks to go to get help, like the new White Horse Recovery Center in Berlin, is key to fighting this epidemic,” said Senator Shaheen. “I was glad to learn more about how the services offered by White Horse in partnership with other services in the city will help impacted Granite Staters stay on their paths to recovery.”

The New Hampshire Department of Justice received a $4.7 million federal grant to help with the expansion of Adverse Childhood Response Teams (ACERT) and the Prevention, Enforcement and Treatment (PET) program. The Manchester Police Department, YWCA-NH, Project LAUNCH at the Manchester Community Health Center and Amoskeag Health launched the ACERT Team initiative in 2015. Lakes Region Community Services and the Laconia Police Department followed suit in 2019. The PET program was first developed by the Laconia Police Department and is now being replicated in six other police departments across the state, including Berlin. The federal funds will enable more communities to obtain the resources to address substance use disorder and help break the cycle of overdose recidivism. White Horse Recovery Center will be integral to these efforts and provide much-needed recovery services in Berlin.

Shaheen, Chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee, has led efforts in Congress to combat the substance use disorder epidemic and support affected families. Shaheen also secured $750,000 for the enhancement of ACERT infrastructure and training resources for law enforcement and first responders in the fiscal year (FY) 2022 funding legislation that was signed into law.

Shaheen also visited The Rocks, a 1,400-acre conservation and education center owned and managed by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (Forest Society), to see the progress of their reconstruction efforts following a fire in 2019. Shaheen toured the renovated facilities, which include a retrofitted, net-zero energy efficient 1884 Carriage Barn that will host a classroom and event space, the new solar array and the outdoor amphitheater.

“The Rocks is a treasured place and a testament to the value of investing in forest stewardship and outdoor recreation for our communities,” said Senator Shaheen. “During my tour, I saw how the newly renovated facilities will incorporate energy-efficient technologies while preserving the unique heritage of the farm.”

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