NH Delegation Announces $400K for Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester to Address Youth Trauma

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) announced today that the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester (MHCGM) will receive $400,000 to help address adverse youth experiences associated with exposure to trauma. 

Specifically, the funding was allocated through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative, which Senator Shaheen supports through the annual appropriations process. The funding will support MHCGM’s Trauma Recovery though Evidence-based Access and Treatment (TREAT) project, which aims to boost access and treatment to Manchester youth by creating a trauma informed supportive community through training community members, child-serving system workers and police officers, allowing MHCGM to hire additional mental and behavioral health providers and implementing effective, evidence-based treatments.  

“We know that traumatic experiences can have devastating, long-term effects on children. As New Hampshire continues to battle traumatic crises like COVID-19 and the substance use disorder epidemic, ensuring our communities have the resources they need to support those who are suffering – especially children and teenagers – must be a priority,” said Senator Shaheen. “This federal funding is a much-needed investment in the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester to help prevent and treat youth trauma, ensuring young people can lead healthy and fulfilling lives.” 

“I have heard from advocates and parents across New Hampshire about the urgent need to provide more resources to address childhood trauma, an issue that has become especially acute during the pandemic,” said Senator Hassan. “This federal funding is sorely needed and is great news for the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester as it continues to build upon its work serving our state’s children and making sure that they receive the care that they need. I look forward to continuing to push for legislation in Congress that will address the mental health needs of our youth.”

“Addressing childhood trauma through evidence-based treatment is critical to ensuring every Granite State child has the opportunity and support needed to thrive,” said Representative Kuster. “I’m glad that the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester has received this important funding through the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative, and I will continue working in Congress to deliver much-needed support to New Hampshire’s trauma and mental health providers.”

“Early exposure to trauma has life-long impacts on children that can be incredibly detrimental to their development if left unaddressed and untreated,” said Representative Pappas. “As we continue to recover from a pandemic that created a host of new challenges for our young people to overcome, this federal funding for Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester is an important investment that will help mitigate the impacts of childhood traumatic exposure and ensure children not only recover from these experiences but thrive throughout their lives.”  

Shaheen has worked to address the impacts of trauma on children. With Congressman Pappas, Shaheen introduced the National ACERT Grant Program Authorization Act, which would provide federal resources for communities to address adverse childhood experiences associated with exposure to trauma. By helping to establish programs that allow law enforcement and first responders to connect with local child specialists and professionals, resources from the legislation would facilitate early intervention to help mitigate the impacts of childhood trauma.  

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