NAMI New Hampshire, a local mental health non-profit, will use a new $3.6 million federal grant to expand its youth suicide prevention work in New Hampshire. The news comes seven months after the Trump administration abruptly revoked some of NAMI New Hampshire’s other funding before restoring it 24 hours later under public pressure.
“I'm not naive to think there is no chance of any future challenges like that,” said Susan Stearns, NAMI New Hampshire's executive director. “I'm also absolutely resolute that this work is too important.”
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in New Hampshire for people between the ages of 15 and 24, Stearns said. Suicide attempts among youth are up, and in the most recent statewide Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 40% of students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
NAMI New Hampshire will use the five-year grant to expand youth suicide prevention training in schools as well as supports for youth and their families when they transition from inpatient psychiatric care to the community.
Stearns said NAMI New Hampshire will focus on Strafford County, particularly schools in Somersworth and Rochester, which have higher rates of youth poverty and youth substance use. In the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 21% of Stafford County’s youth said they had seriously considered suicide in the prior 12 months.
Among NAMI New Hampshire’s goals is ensuring 10 Stafford County school districts adopt written suicide risk response protocols and at least 400 school and community employees complete training in suicide prevention, risk screening, and safety planning.
Some of the grant money will go to Dartmouth Health, which operates the state-funded Hampstead Hospital psychiatric hospital. Stearns said it will hire a new after-care liaison to help youth and families transition to community care.
NAMI New Hampshire will also embed a family peer support specialist with personal experience navigating a transition within the Center for Life Management crisis center.
NAMI New Hampshire hopes those initiatives will help 100 youth and their families through that initiative.
“When you have experienced child who has suicidal ideation or has had a suicide attempt, or you have sat with someone who has lost a child to suicide, there really is no other option but to continue this work,” Stearns said.
The five-year grant will still require NAMI New Hampshire to complete an annual application showing it is meeting its goals. If it doesn’t, the funding could be terminated.
In January, the Trump administration briefly terminated as much as $2 billion in federal funding for mental health and addiction programs. That would have cost NAMI New Hampshire and school districts in the state millions of dollars had the cuts not been reversed.
The federal government told organizations their work “no longer aligned with the administration's priorities,” according to termination letters reviewed by NHPR.
The federal government reinstated the funding following swift backlash from healthcare providers, schools, and lawmakers from both parties.
People experiencing a mental health crisis in New Hampshire can call or text 833-710-6477 for the state’s mobile crisis services or 988 for the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
