Senator Hassan Joins NH Veterans in Recreational Therapy Session on the Lamprey River

NEWMARKET – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan joined New Hampshire veterans yesterday who participated in recreational therapy on a kayaking trip on the Lamprey River. The event was organized by Northeast Passage, an organization that works to empower people living with disabling conditions, both visible and invisible, to define, pursue and achieve whole life health, community engagement and fulfillment through the purposeful use of sports and recreation such as kayaking.

“Recreational therapy helps empower veterans and those who experience disabilities through outdoor activities, and I was grateful to have the opportunity to experience a session firsthand on the beautiful Lamprey River,” Senator Hassan said. “Veterans have sacrificed enormously in defense of our country’s freedoms, and the therapy sessions that Northeast Passage provides are a wonderful tool to help veterans heal. I know that this pandemic has made it more difficult for veterans to receive the care that they need, and I will continue working throughout this public health crisis and beyond to expand behavioral health services for veterans.”  

“We are grateful for the commitment of Senator Hassan to increase access to care for veterans and her support of the efforts of community-based organizations like Northeast Passage, who are able to offer complementary integrative healthcare approaches to meet the needs of veterans who experience physical disability and/or mental health conditions,” said Tye Thompson, Northeast Passage Program Director. “New Hampshire has such tremendous natural resources and community strengths.  We believe that serving veterans in communities where they live, and working to increase access to these natural resources as part of the everyday people, places, and things in ways that create joy and meaning are a very important aspect of feeling at home and happy in one’s community. This sense of well-being is what we strive to support across the continuum of our Veteran programs and services.”  

Senator Hassan is focused on supporting veterans in New Hampshire and across the country. The Senate recently passed the bipartisan Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act, which the Senator cosponsored, to improve veterans’ access to mental health care, including expanding access to recreational therapy programs. Senator Hasan also called on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to strengthen New Hampshire veterans’ access to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the Senator joined the rest of the New Hampshire Delegation in speaking out against a change in policy at the VA that limits veterans’ ability to access non-drug related therapies, such as muscle massage services and acupuncture, which can help veterans experiencing chronic pain.

###