The Advisory Panel
The role of the Advisory Panel for the NH Youth SBIRT Initiative is to provide expert guidance and to ensure the successful implementation of this practice within the context of NH’s unique health environment. The Panel is comprised of medical professionals, academia, state representatives and other community leaders.
The Advisory Panel includes:
- Kirsten Platte
- Dan Merrigan
- Travis Harker
- Kim Firth
- Michael Ferrara
- Shawn LaFrance
- Steve Ahnen
- Greg Prazar, MD
- Mary Ellen Ryan, MSN, CPNP
- Tess Stack Kuenning
- Benjamin Nordstrom
- Rep. Tom Sherman
- Sen. Jeanie Forrester
New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, with support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, has launched a three-year initiative to support expansion of SBIRT protocols in health centers across New Hampshire, focusing on youth. Partnering with health centers, practice change experts and policy leaders, our focus is to take this complex issue and discover the best pathways to empower the healthcare field towards improved patient outcomes.
Policy
New Futures is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates, educates and collaborates to prevent and reduce alcohol and other drug problems in New Hampshire. New Futures directs all policy and advocacy efforts related to NH’s Youth SBIRT Initiative, including but not exclusive to: identifying policy gaps and barriers to SBIRT implementation in NH through research and a policy audit; assessing the readiness of policy and practice systems to endorse adolescent SBIRT implementation, and managing advocacy and communications related to the implementation of SBIRT as a standard practice in health care settings.
Upcoming work and legislative activities include:
- Addressing inequities in NH Law which permits minors to confidentially access treatment without parental consent for drug dependency, but not alcohol dependency.
- Advocating for SBIRT to be included among NH’s list of approved EPSDT screens.
- Encouraging the State to extend SUD benefits to NH’s Standard Medicaid Population.
- Analyzing NH Marketplace plans and informing providers on funding opportunities to build NH’s substance use disorder treatment capacity.
Recently, New Futures lead by example and encouraged New Hampshire residents to become an advocate through their protest of cuts in substance use disorder services. More information is available on the New Futures blog.
Questions for New Futures or interested in becoming an advocate? Contact Michele Merritt, Policy Director, for more information.
Technical Assistance
Technical assistance for the NH Youth SBIRT Initiative is provided by the NH Center for Excellence. If you are interested in receiving TA for SBIRT implementation, please fill out a technical assistance request on the NH Center for Excellence website.