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Moving Ahead On Mental Health Care

Thomas Fearon
/
NHPR

In the 1990s, New Hampshire topped national rankings for its mental health system. Over the past twenty years, however, care has deteriorated to the point of crisis. With the erosion of community-based care, a ‘revolving door’ pattern of hospital admissions, and an alarming number of mentally ill Granite Staters in our prisons and jails. And so, in early 2012, the Disabilities Rights Center filed a lawsuit against the state on behalf of six plaintiffs who had experienced prolonged stays in state institutions. Then late last year, the state settled the lawsuit, paving the way for $30 million to be spent over the next four years on mental health services. While that’s a lot to pull from New Hampshire’s budget, many say it will vastly help repair this ailing system and improve the lives of thousands of Granite Staters.

GUESTS:

  • Amy Messer – legal director of New Hampshire’s Disabilities Rights Center. She was a key player in litigating the new mental healthcare settlement.
  • Ken Norton – executive director of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in New Hampshire
  • Rebecca Woodard – Assistant Attorney General at the New Hampshire Department of Justice

CALLOUT:

  • Nick Toumpas – Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

LINKS:

Laura is well known in New Hampshire for her in-depth coverage of important issues and is widely regarded for her interviews with presidential hopefuls. Laura is a graduate of Keene High School in New Hampshire. Prior to hosting The Exchange, Laura worked in public radio in Washington, D.C. as a local reporter and announcer for WAMU and as a newscaster for NPR. Before her radio career, she was a researcher for USA Today's "Money" section, and a research assistant at the Institute for International Economics. Laura occasionally guest hosts national programs such as The Diane Rehm Show and Here and Now. In 2007 Laura was named New Hampshire Broadcaster of the Year by the New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters.
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