MANCHESTER, N.H. – Additional clarity may be needed following Monday’s update at the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen Special Committee on Alcohol, Other Drugs and Youth Services after two key figures in the city’s quest to aid homeless individuals requiring substance abuse treatment seemed to provide incongruous statements.
Manchester Director of Homelessness Initiatives Adrienne Beloin and GateHouse Director of Northeast Development Amanda Robichaud joined with other colleagues to provide updates on a new detox program for homeless individuals around Manchester, now approximately six weeks after its launch.
According to Robichaud, 31 members of the community were helped through the plan, with just over half reporting that they have been homeless within Manchester for over a year. Approximately half of the individuals engaged with the program at either Families in Transition’s Merrimack Street shelter or at the 1269 Café.
Of those 31 individuals who were transferred by Gatehouse to a detox facility for approximately one week of treatment, only three declined further treatment, with just over half either engaging with non-profit organizations for further treatment or enrolled in long-term partial hospitalization care.
Beloin praised Gatehouse for their ability to engage individuals seeking detox care, but claimed that they violated contractual obligations with the city to provide verifiable information to ensure that when individuals are leaving detox care that they are not just going back onto the streets.
According to Beloin, Robichaud did not obtain release of information agreements that would allow Beloin to establish relationships and build upon the efforts accomplished in detox, which Beloin said is only one step in a person’s journey transitioning out of homelessness.
Beloin added that such releases of information are customary in agreements such as the one between the city and Gatehouse, noting that she has performed Robichaud’s role at earlier steps in her career and such information was essential to justify further grant funding.
Robichaud indicated that most of that requested information had been provided to the city, with some other portions of the requested information infeasible to obtain from the individuals seeking care.
Ward 12 Alderman Erin George-Kelly asked if that infeasibility could be construed as a lack of capacity to consent into care, but Robichaud and other Gatehouse representatives stated that the infeasibility was related to the questions being difficult to answer, such as asking the individuals who was their last primary care physician.
Several members of the committee praised Robichaud for her efforts but also stressed to both Robichaud and Beloin the need that they cooperate with each other more effectively moving forward.
“Let’s work together and get this done,” said Committee Chair and Ward 10 Alderman Bill Barry.
