Tag: 220127

Strengthening minds

UNH opens Children’s Behavioral Health Resource Center

The University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability is developing a new Children’s Behavioral Health Resource Center, funded by the New Hampshire Executive Council, set to open this spring. UNH research associate professor JoAnne Malloy, who co-directs the center with UNH Institute on Disability director Kelly Nye-Lengerman, discussed the center’s mission and operations.

What is the Children’s Behavioral Health Research Center?

Our center will form around a lot of work we’ve already been doing with the state. … In 2019 the state legislature and the governor signed Senate Bill 14, which established funding for a Children’s Mental Health System of Care, which is a national model. It’s necessary because families who have a child with a mental health issue often find that the services are fragmented; they could have a mental health counselor and a school counselor and a DCYF worker. It’s really hard for parents, because they’re already dealing with a very stressful situation, and then they have all these services coming at them. The System of Care is designed to help families … find the services and support they need. …This center is part of that bigger work. Our job will be to help identify practices that have good research evidence … and are shown to be effective.

How did you get involved?

I started working here at the university in the mid ’90s. I’ve always specialized in working with adolescents with emotional and behavioral challenges. … I started working with the state to build a System of Care … and develop a model to help that population [of youth] … and to help the people working in the field get good quality training and education and to give them the support they need.

What needs will the center address?

A lot of children and young people have been going to the emergency room in a mental health crisis. It’s been really exacerbated by the pandemic, with children not being able to go to school consistently and not being able to see their friends and trying to learn online. … The problems we’ll be addressing are for those children and youth who are really stressed and have a mental health concern. Perhaps they’re acting out in the community or attempting self-harm or suicide. Perhaps they’re going out into the community and breaking laws. They’re not going to school. They may have emotional disorders such as severe anxiety or depression. It’s a wide variety of issues [affecting] children and youth that we’re looking at.

What will some of the center’s main day-to-day operations be?

We have 10 community mental health centers across the state, so we’ll be training providers … and some of their staff in how to work with children who have significant trauma backgrounds and use cognitive behavioral therapy, which is an evidence-based practice. … We also do consultations. Once somebody goes to the training, they often need guidance … so we’ll be observing them in treatment sessions and providing them feedback to make sure that what they’re doing is good practice. … We also bring [mental health care] partners together and gather information about what they need. Some of our staff will be doing interviews and focus groups [to find out] where we need to fill in the gaps.

Is there anything else like this in the state?

There are currently no other centers in New Hampshire that focus on children’s mental health and evidence-based practices … but there are smaller groups, and this [center] is bringing everybody together. … There are centers like this in other states, and I’ve been looking at those and [their] models.

What are the center’s goals, short-term and long-term?

Short-term, we want to do three trainings by the end of June to train and provide consultation to 80 people. … Long-term — the contract [for the center] is for three years and potentially renewable — I’d like to see the center become a permanent fixture in the state, and something that changes with the needs of people in the field. Most of all, I want it to make an impact, because at the end of the day, if we’re not actually helping children and families, we might as well all pack up and go home.

Featured photo: JoAnne Malloy. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 22/01/27

Covid-19 update As of Jan 14 As of Jan 24
Total cases statewide 235,898 265,140
Total current infections statewide 21,291 15,641
Total deaths statewide 2,079 2,145
New cases 12,299 (Jan. 11 to Jan. 14) 29,242 (Jan. 15 to Jan. 24)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 7,055 4,843
Current infections: Merrimack County 2,234 1,842
Current infections: Rockingham County 4,372 2,885
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Covid-19 news

During the state’s weekly public health update on Jan. 19, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that, on average, there were 3,100 new infections of Covid-19 per day over the previous week, up from an average of 2,500 the week before. Just a day earlier, on Jan. 18, the number of overall cases of the virus in New Hampshire since the start of the pandemic officially surpassed a quarter of a million. According to Gov. Chris Sununu, the omicron variant is now by far the dominant Covid strain in the state, accounting for a high majority of new daily cases. “On the positive side, omicron … appears to have much less severe symptoms and it’s likely that there are many people out there who are asymptomatic or don’t even know that they have Covid,” Sununu said during the press conference. “[We want] to urge people … to really watch for symptoms. Be sure you’re taking them very seriously. … The booster is so critical and really makes all the difference in the world in terms of the severity of symptoms.”

New fixed vaccination sites with walk-in access opened in Stratham and Concord last week, with more on the way in Keene, Salem, Manchester and Nashua. “We’re trying to make sure we have good geographic access,” Sununu said. “In addition, we expect a teens fixed vaccination site to be online before the end of the month.” Go to covid19.nh.gov for the most up-to-date details.

Cancer concerns

Residents of Merrimack, Litchfield, Bedford and Londonderry are invited to attend a virtual public information meeting via Zoom on Thursday, Jan. 27, at 6:30 p.m., which will provide updates and answer questions on the status of cancer in the community. According to a press release from the state Department of Health and Human Services, the meeting’s agenda will include background on the protocol for responding to community concerns about cancer, the history of the response in Merrimack, the most recent data analysis and a discussion of the next steps in the investigation, before moving on to a question and answer session. Contact the DHHS Cancer program at 271-4959 or visit dhhs.nh.gov for more details.

New political poll

A recent Saint Anselm College poll found that 74 percent of New Hampshire registered voters believe the country is on the wrong track, versus only 16 percent who believe it is headed in the right direction. According to a press release, the college’s survey center at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics collected data from cell phone users on Jan. 11 and Jan. 12, each of whom were randomly drawn from a sample of registered voters. The poll also found that 62 percent of voters approve of the job Gov. Chris Sununu has done managing the Covid-19 pandemic, while only 40 percent approve of the job President Joe Biden has done. Full results can be viewed at anselm.edu/new-hampshire-institute-politics.

Energy and abortion bills

Last week, lawmakers addressed a couple of noteworthy bills in the House. According to a report from WMUR, the House voted unanimously to approve a bill to restore the state’s energy efficiency program, which proponents say would help homeowners save money, reduce costs for utilities, lower energy needs in the state and provide jobs to contractors, who would be needed to assess homes and help homeowners find more efficient energy options. The Public Utilities Commission gutted the program last year, according to the report, and energy efficiency contractors warned that a short-term effect will be hundreds of layoffs and difficulties for homeowners wanting to make energy- and money-saving improvements. An amended version of the bill has now cleared a Senate committee with full bipartisan support, the report said, and the hope is that the governor will have the bill on his desk by the end of February.

Another bill working its way through the House would amend the restrictive abortion laws put in place last year; the new bill would allow for exceptions to the 24-week abortion ban in cases of rape, incest or fatal fetal abnormality, according to WMUR. House Republicans overhauled the bill, replacing it with an amendment that would say ultrasounds are not mandatory before an abortion unless the fetus is within range of 24 weeks gestation, the report said

PFAS FAQ

The New Hampshire Insurance Department recently released a Frequently Asked Questions document with information on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) testing, according to a press release. PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals used to manufacture household and commercial products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water. For decades, they’ve been used in many consumer products, like nonstick cookware, stain-resistant furniture and carpets, microwave popcorn bags and other food packaging. According to the release, PFAS has impacted several areas of New Hampshire, including groundwater contamination at Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, and water and soil contamination and air emissions from local industrial facilities. Some studies of PFAS exposure in humans suggest that it may cause various adverse health effects. “The need for Granite Staters to access testing for PFAS chemicals is incredibly important,” state Deputy Insurance Commissioner D.J. Bettencourt said in a statement. “[We are] pleased to make this informational document available to help citizens better understand the role that their insurance coverage plays in testing.” The Frequently Asked Questions document can be viewed online in full at nh.gov/insurance, by clicking on “health insurance” under the “for consumers” tab.

Essay contest

New Hampshire Leadership PAC is sponsoring its second annual First in the Nation essay contest, available for all high school seniors in the state to enter. According to a press release, essays between 500 and 800 words must be submitted by April 8 — participants are asked to best articulate the benefits of New Hampshire conducting the first-in-the-nation presidential primary. Students can either mail their essays to Essay, PO Box 6052, Amherst, NH 03031 or email them in PDF format to [email protected]. Winners will be announced May 6. Cash scholarship prizes for the top three essay entries will be awarded during a presentation to be held in Concord on May 18. “The next generation of young leaders will be inheriting the first in the nation tradition, hopefully, and we want to inspire them to not only vote but to also be actively engaged in the process,” Republican National Committeeman Chris Ager said in a statement. For more details, visit chrisager.com/essay-contest.

The New Hampshire Food Bank in Concord was the recipient of $122,000 that was raised at the recent Distiller’s Showcase put on by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. According to a press release, the eighth annual showcase, which is the signature event of Distiller’s Week, was the most successful one yet.

The Manchester VA Medical Center opened its new $14.5 million, 16,000-square-foot Urgent Care Center last week. According to a press release, the new center offers veterans increased safety and infection prevention, in part by relocating urgent care services to allow direct access from the outside and adding an exam room designed for women veterans, and a psychiatric holding room.

Students from Milford High School were named “We the People: The Citizen and Constitution” state champions earlier this month. According to a press release from the New Hampshire Bar Association, students from Hollis-Brookline and John Stark Regional high schools also participated in the final round of the annual event, which gives students the chance to show their knowledge of Constitutional Law principles through simulated congressional hearings where they “testify” before judges acting as members of Congress.

Students helping students

It’s a tough time to be in the world of education. Local school boards spend their time addressing parental concerns on critical race theory, mask and vaccine mandates, and in-person versus remote learning. Faculty, staff and administration offer another perspective on these topics. With all the background noise, the purpose of education easily gets overlooked, and many students are struggling in the current dynamic environment. Consider what it must be like for refugee students who have landed in this new world of learning.

Recently I spoke with Riyah Patel, founder of New American Scholars, a New Hampshire-based nonprofit that provides peer-to-peer tutoring and mentorship to refugee students. Riyah started this nonprofit last summer at the age of 15 because she herself had struggled with remote learning, finding it difficult to connect with her instructors and peers. If she was struggling, how difficult must it be for kids who have been forced from their countries and homes, landing here with scant resources?

Riyah reached out to local refugee organizations and inquired about interest in a summer tutoring program for this population. The response was overwhelming. Because she had only one tutor (herself), she limited her services to 10 students. She then connected with the Concord Public Library for space. With her parents’ help on transportation, she was up and running.

The students ranged in age from fifth grade to high school. She grouped the kids based on their skill levels and worked with them Monday through Friday over the course of the summer. Due to cultural and language barriers, combined with the online learning system, the kids felt behind and abandoned by the American school system, yet they were engaged in the tutoring process and wanted to learn and fill in the knowledge gaps. By summer’s end, all students had shown immense progress. Riyah’s vision is to expand and offer services statewide, possibly partnering with schools. Her goal is for this nonprofit to become self-sustaining and carry on for many years to come. The website is up and running (newamericanscholars.org), and she is seeking additional tutors for the coming summer.

Perhaps there is a lesson in this story for the American education system. Sometimes we must cut through the noise and get down to the business of educating students, all of them, creating learning opportunities that meet individual students where they are. There are many ways to do this, and one very passionate and motivated 15-year-old student is leading the way.

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