Granite State News Collaborative

Stories published collaboratively by a group of news, education and media outlets from all over the state. Our inaugural project focuses on solutions journalism which  means we dig deep into proposed fixes to find out what’s working, what’s not, what the evidence is and who’s accountable when it comes to behavioral health. Our first project has been funded through Solutions Journalism Network.

Granite Solutions

Piece of the Puzzle: Drug Courts Expand Across State

Friday, May 10, 2019 Anna Berry 0
When the dual opioid and behavioral health crises engulfed New Hampshire following the Great Recession, the expansion of drug courts took on new urgency. Following an influx of state funding in 2016, four more drug courts were added over two years to the existing system, based in superior courts. READ MORE
Granite Solutions

Suicide prevention bill: ‘People don’t know what teenagers are going through all the time’

Tuesday, April 16, 2019 Angie Boynton 0
Like most things, it is hard to spot mental illness or suicidal behavior if you have no experience or knowledge of the signs and symptoms. That is why if NH House Bill 652 becomes law, it will require the New Hampshire State Board of Education to mandate annual suicide prevention training for teachers and administrators in public schools. READ MORE
Government

How did we get here? Diagnosing the behavioral health crisis in New Hampshire

Friday, March 8, 2019 Michael Kitch 0
In-patient services are not sufficient to treat the numbers of mentally ill experiencing crises who require them. Out-patient and support services at the community level are not sufficient to stem the numbers requiring inpatient care. And housing, employment and other support services are not sufficient to ensure inpatients can be safely returned to the community in a timely manner. READ MORE
Government

NH’s Hub and Spoke system: Traction or just spinning wheels?

Friday, March 1, 2019 Melanie Plenda, Rob Greene, Sheryl Rich Kern, Ryan Lessard, Barbara Tetreault, Michael Joseph 0
“We gotta do something because it’s impacting everyday people,” Nick Toumpas said. “It’s impacting kids, its impacting adults, it’s impacting innocent people who are impacted by somebody else who has a problem with substance abuse — it’s an overall sense of urgency. They basically said it’s better to do something fast and then correct it as we go along, as opposed to stepping back and looking at it in a more measured way.” READ MORE
Granite Solutions

Emergency Response Services: Answering the Call

Tuesday, January 29, 2019 Judi Currie 0
There are different models for providing emergency response services in the state. Some communities contract with a professional company to respond to their 911 calls. Others have their own force, often part of the fire department. Sometimes the service is provided by a local hospital, and some communities have volunteer organizations. READ MORE