TIMOTHY LAROCHE
CLAREMONT — Faced with declining revenues, a statewide drug addiction recovery service will close its doors in Claremont at the end of the month.
HOPE for New Hampshire Recovery, the Manchester-based non-profit, said it will consolidate operations in its Manchester office and close four centers across the state, including one in Claremont. Centers in Berlin, Concord and Franklin will also close.
Since the Claremont center opened in July 2016, more than 1,500 people have used the center’s services. The center has 200 active members on file, along with 75 people who regularly access peer support services, Center Manager Wayne Miller said.
“It is overwhelming, to say the least, to find out that I only have two weeks to find new employment in order to provide for my family, especially considering that I will need to spend all of my time over these final weeks contacting all of our members to let them know about the closure in my own words,” Miller said. “I am sure that many have heard about this by now but it is still very important to me that I give my best effort in providing some sense of closure for them.”
Members of the organization’s board of directors say the closure of the centers follows a period of financial stress for HOPE for New Hampshire Recovery. Rather than risk an organization-wide bankruptcy, board members made the decision to consolidate efforts at the Manchester center, board of directors member Joe Graham said.
The Manchester center sees nearly 400 clients each day, Graham noted. By comparison, fewer than 10 people use the Berlin center each day.
“It’s bittersweet to have to do this,” Graham said. “We know that recovery is a very important next step in the process. We need to think about what’s best for our organization and helping as many people as possible.”
Executive Director Melissa Crews informed Miller of the closure on Monday night. Along with Miller, the center employs a part-time peer support staff member.
“Unfortunately, the costs to operate the centers are significantly higher than the revenue available to each center,” Executive Director Mellissa Crews said. “While no one wants to see the centers close, our board realizes that the majority of the organization’s funding sources have been Manchester area businesses, organizations and donors.”
Funding for the organization is a mix from the centralized distribution from the Manchester flagship center and satellite centers conducting their own fundraising, he said.
“It’s a multitude of issues with funding,” Graham said of the Claremont center. “We’ve only been able to raise about $13,000 there over six months.”
According to data from the New Hampshire Drug Monitoring Initiative, drug-related deaths saw a steady rise across the state from 2010 to 2016 — from 13.45 to 36.46 deaths per 100,000 people. With 91 outstanding toxicology reports from 2017 deaths, figures have not yet been tabulated as of Jan. 23, but totals are expected to remain the same as 2016 figures.
Projected overdose deaths are greatest in Hillsborough County at 3.98 deaths per 10,000 people. Sullivan County has the lowest overdose death rate in the state with 0.91 deaths per 10,000 people.
“Sullivan County is filled with a lot of agencies and providers that recognize the value of the recovery community center,” Miller said. “Many have already been engaged in conversations with me about different ways that we can come together as a community to continue providing this resource to people in the county who will now be without any formalized peer recovery services.”
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