$15 Million Grant Approved For Behavioral Health Care Facility

Press release from District 3 Executive Councilor Janet Stevens' Office:

During the March 22, 2023, Executive Council meeting, Executive Councilor Janet Stevens proposed a motion to award a $15 million grant from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support the construction of a new 120-bed inpatient facility in New Hampshire. The facility will be built and managed by SolutionHealth, in partnership with another organization yet to be announced, at a total cost of $60 million dollars.

The new facility aims to address the ongoing emergency room boarding crisis and improve access to behavioral healthcare services for residents of New Hampshire. The construction costs will be defrayed by the state’s allocation of ARPA funds, and the facility is expected to open its doors in 2024.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented demands on New Hampshire's behavioral healthcare system and providers, making it unsustainable. The current Emergency Room boarding data highlights the urgent need to increase the capacity for inpatient behavioral healthcare. At present, 34 adults and four adolescents are boarding in emergency rooms due to the lack of sufficient inpatient beds, which is unacceptable and could potentially violate recent rulings,” said Executive Councilor Stevens.

Stevens' support for the state's acquisition of Hampstead Hospital helped reduce the number of children stuck in emergency rooms for behavioral healthcare, which averaged 16 per day in December 2021.

According to Executive Councilor Stevens, “the success of the state's investment in Hampstead Hospital is an encouraging sign for efforts to improve access to mental health care for children and adolescents and underscores the importance of continued investment in this critical area and the need to build out for adult populations.”

The new facility will provide 72 designated receiving beds for voluntary and involuntary admissions, 24 beds for both adolescents/pediatrics and geriatrics populations and will result in a net gain of 81 inpatient beds in New Hampshire. The facility will prioritize New Hampshire residents and take at least 30% Medicaid.

“Staffing for the new facility is a top priority and the contract mandates a strategic hiring plan within 30 days of the final grant agreement. The contract stipulates that hiring practices must avoid impact on local providers including ‘strategies to prevent targeting and recruiting the regional behavioral health care labor pool’” added Stevens.

Construction is expected to begin in December 2023, and potential sites are being considered in several Southern New Hampshire communities with priority on access to public transportation. A simultaneous announcement on the joint venture partner and site location is anticipated within 4-6 weeks.

This press release was produced by District 3 Executive Councilor Janet Stevens' Office. The views expressed here are the author's own.