MANCHESTER: Manchester School District students helped launch a new campaign, called M-Power, to better connect middle and high school students to emotional well-being and school safety resources, by promoting youth mental health, reducing stigma and encouraging students to connect to services. The campaign also encourages students to speak up if there is knowledge of a threat to school safety or someone’s personal safety. The program is funded through the national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Project Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education (Project AWARE) five-year grant.
MANCHESTER: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire announced in September it is eliminating cost shares for primary and behavioral health care visits for children under 19 in most employer-sponsored plans in an effort to improve access to care in the state. The zero-dollar cost shares apply to health plans offered by Anthem in New Hampshire in the fully insured large group and small group markets starting Jan. 1, 2025, and are offered to self-funded plans in New Hampshire. Members under age 19 in eligible plans will have no cost shares for in-network primary care office and virtual visits, outpatient behavioral health office and virtual visits, and nutritional counseling visits. (Additional services provided during visits may have cost shares.)
PETERBOROUGH: Catholic Charities NH, in partnership with Evernorth and other community partners, celebrated the groundbreaking of Vose Farm Residences, a 96-unit mixed-income housing development in Peterborough, on Oct. 2. The development will feature 64 one- and two-bedroom apartments reserved for households earning 30%-60% of the area median income. The second phase, which will begin construction next year, will include an additional 32 units.
CONCORD: The University of New Hampshire (UNH) and Plymouth State University (PSU) have announced a pilot program with Niche Direct Admissions for the 2024-25 admissions year for high-school seniors to receive immediate acceptance based solely on their Niche Profile. With Niche, institutions set criteria for acceptance that are unique to their college or university, and students create an online profile and explore colleges. In real time, qualified students will see if they have been accepted, receive a merit scholarship offer and access detailed information about the institution along with the option to initiate the enrollment process.
MANCHESTER: Earlier this month, Mayor Jay Ruais announced that the city and its community partners have secured $600,000 from the state in unobligated ARPA funds for the purchase of the building housing Emily’s Place. The domestic violence shelter had been in danger of closing when its crisis services operators REACH and the YWCA ended their partnership. REACH has joined with Bridges: Domestic and Sexual Violence Support for leadership and fiscal oversight until REACH becomes an independent, nonprofit organization. Emily’s Place is one of only 11 domestic violence shelters in New Hampshire.
