1. What is Families Flourish Northeast (FFNE)?

FFNE is a nonprofit organization striving to interrupt intergenerational cycle of addiction.  FFNE will provide quality, comprehensive substance use disorder treatment for pregnant and parenting women.  While engaged in residential treatment, women will be able to have their children with them and will be supported in their parenting journey, including parental skill development and early child supports. 

2. How does FFNE plan to address treatment and recovery for mothers’ substance-use disorder?

Families Flourish is building a high-intensity residential substance-use treatment center for pregnant and parenting women and their children in New Hampshire’s Upper Valley. The facility will provide recovery services and housing for up to 12 women and their children (ages 0-12). FFNE aims to address a critical gap in access to family-centered residential treatment for New Hampshire and Vermont women, where substance use has severely impacted families and communities.

2. What services will FFNE provide?

The FFNE program will provide the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) level 3.5, Clinically Managed High-Intensity Residential Substance Use Treatment for women. This level of care includes 24-hour services capable of addressing co-occurring substance-use disorder (SUD) and mental health diagnoses.  FFNE will provide comprehensive, trauma-informed treatment that includes individual and group therapy, medication treatment, parent-child psychotherapy, and parenting support.  The program will help women through three phases—stabilization, active treatment, and transition—while coordinating pediatric services for children and preparing women for community reintegration using a comprehensive aftercare case management and supportive employment model.

3. Why is this project important for this region?

Families in central and northern New Hampshire have limited access to family-centered SUD treatment. Currently, there are only two family-centered residential programs in southern New Hampshire with a limited number of beds and both have up to a 6-month waiting list.  The capacity does not need the need. 

Further, infants exposed to substances in utero is an increasing concern in the region.  As of 2020, the proportion of newborns at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) with prenatal substance exposure had risen to 11.6%, significantly higher than the state average of 7.1%.  FFNE will expand treatment capacity for pregnant and parenting women in need of residential treatment, filling this gap in critical services.

4. Where will the facility be located?

FFNE’s future home will be located in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire at 424 Mount Support Road. The facility will employ trauma informed design and comply with New Hampshire residential licensure.   As a future center for excellence, FFNE will be accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

5. What is the timeline for the project?

FFNE is in the final planning stages. Construction of the facility is expected to begin soon, with a goal of providing services by mid/late 2026.

• September, 2024 -December, 2024: Environmental assessments, site control obtained
• December, 2024-March, 2025: Secure zoning & permitting approvals
• June, 2024-February, 2025: Construction planning
• March, 2025- September, 2026: Construction
• September, 2026: Ribbon cutting and opening of the facility

6. How much will it cost to construct the facility?

The total construction budget is $10.5 million, with $3 million already secured. FFNE is seeking an additional $3 million from CDFA and NHHFA, leaving $4.5 million to be raised.

7. How will the remaining funds be raised?

FFNE’s Advancement Committee is working with a development consultant to launch a capital campaign to raise an additional $4.5 million. Other funding sources being sought include grants from federal agencies such as Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as local charitable foundations.

8. What is the clinical model of treatment at FFNE?

The FFNE treatment program will follow a structured model divided into three phases: stabilization, active treatment, and transition. The program’s evidence-based approach is modeled on the Horizons for Women program at the University of North Carolina, integrating state-of-the-science practices in women’s addiction treatment, parent-child psychotherapy, and attachment-based care. Women will receive comprehensive addiction and psychiatric evaluations and tailored treatment. Treatment will include therapeutic interventions designed for both mothers and their children, emphasizing family supports and reducing the impact of adverse childhood events.

9. Why is there an urgent need for this facility?

Between 2018-2020, 25 of 29 women referred to residential treatment from DHMC’s Moms in Recovery program declined to go to treatment due to a lack of gender-specific services that allowed them to bring their children or continue visitations.  Currently, outpatient-based treatment options dominate rural counties, with no residential programs available for pregnant and parenting women in Cheshire, Sullivan, Grafton, Carroll, and Coos counties. The lack of accessible, family-centered residential care is contributing to an overburdened child welfare system and other state services.

10. How will FFNE’s program impact the community?

The Upper Valley of New Hampshire, where FFNE’s facility will be located, is an area where women in need of these services live. The most important impact to the community is providing care and services for the community’s residents. Additionally, this facility and its programs will create jobs and support local businesses. The program will work closely with housing providers, employers, and community-based services to ensure that women transitioning out of treatment can secure stable housing, employment, and continued recovery support.