Addiction Recovery Coalition of New Hampshire has been awarded $9,000 in grant funding in order to develop an Alternative Peer Group (APG) which will support at-risk youth in the community. This grant is made possible by the University of NH Institute on Disability, which recently received State Opioid Response Funds from the NH Department of Health and Human Services to expand Youth Recovery Peer Supports. Development and implementation of the APG at ARCNH will be supported by Creating Connections New Hampshire. ARCNH is currently accepting interested individuals into a waitlist for the APG program. ARCNH anticipates that the APG sessions will start in late August/early September.

UPDATE 10/5/22: We are currently enrolling youth in our weekly groups. Complete the info/enrollment form to receive more information about group days/times. Completing the form is not a commitment to enrolling in a group. A representative will contact you to provide more information and can then assist you with enrollment should you decide to move forward.

APGs provide weekly support in a group setting to at-risk youth. At-risk youth include individuals ages 12-17 and 18-25 with, or at risk for, problematic substance use habits. In a pro-social group setting, youth are guided by professionally trained, yet relatable, staff who help to foster healthy coping strategies and drive lifestyle changes. Ultimately, youth are encouraged to direct the group topics and activities, and support each other in the development of their recovery. APGs differ from many youth treatment programs, as they are out-patient, peer-focused, community-based and family-centered. This approach focuses on the wealth of support already available to the individual and their family within their community, and teaches youth how to use these supports to their advantage. Youth will also learn how to find resources within their community and how to advocate for themselves, providing them with the skills to support themselves well into adulthood.

ARCNH has been providing addiction recovery services since 2015. Originally founded as a NHCORR certified recovery residence in Hancock, NH, ARCNH provided recovery services to over 20 men from 2015-2019. Many of these men had families with children of their own, and a large focus of the services provided was preparing the men with family integrity training so they could return home and foster a safe and supportive environment for their family and children. In 2020, ARCNH shifted their mission, closed the residence, and opened a community recovery center in Milford, NH that provides peer support programming, that supports all pathways to recovery. This shift was in an effort to provide support on a broader scale, and provide services to more than just the individual with SUD diagnoses, in particular the family members of those with SUD. ARCNH has always put an emphasis on the importance of family. It is a natural next step, and one of ARCNH’s goals, to begin providing services to the youth of their existing program participants and the youth of the larger community who are at risk of becoming adult participants in the future.

ARCNH’s APG will strive to open channels of communication between youth and parents, family members and other adults uniquely qualified to support them such as caregivers, educational institutions, and healthcare providers. Youth participants will gain powerful insight into the world of addiction recovery, resulting in program graduates who are less likely to develop Substance Use Disorder (SUD) as adults and more likely to receive early treatment if they were to develop SUD as adults. Participants will also gain knowledge, skills and resources they can use to support not only themselves, but also their peers, helping to develop a healthier and more supportive generation of young adults. Through engaging with ARCNH, parents, family members and youth participants will come to learn more about the power of reducing stigma related to SUD and mental health disorders, creating a community that is more able to advocate for themselves, their children and other members of the community.

If you are a young adult ages 12-25 looking for support, or if you know a young adult looking for support, please contact us for more information or to enroll in this program.