A robust crisis care system is necessary to ensure our children receive the support they need. New Hampshire's crisis care system includes:
- Someone To Talk To: The New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point provides 24/7 crisis counseling. The program assisted Granite Staters via call, text, and chat more than 46,000 times in 2024.1
- Someone To Respond: Mobile crisis response teams provide rapid on-site assessment and support.
- Somewhere To Go: Crisis stabilization centers in Derry and Laconia offer 23 hours of supervised care.
Despite the growing mental health crisis in our state, New Hampshire’s behavioral health crisis system is funded through a patchwork of sources that do not offer long-term stability.
To address this, the bipartisan Commission on Behavioral Health Crisis Services was created in 2023. This group studied sustainable funding mechanisms for the crisis system and made recommendations that became the basis for 2025 legislation.
About the Bill
Senate Bill 255 proposes a fiscally responsible, commonsense solution that would make some of the bipartisan Commission's recommendations a reality. The "someone to talk to" pillar of the crisis system would be permanently funded using the same proven model that has worked for our 911 system for decades.
The behavioral health crisis care system protects access to timely and clinically appropriate services while preventing unnecessary and expensive hospitalizations. Access to crisis care reduces uncompensated care and wait times at our local hospitals' emergency departments.2,3
The legislation would protect taxpayers while ensuring our emergency services can respond effectively to all types of crises. Investments in crisis care also lower the burden of local first responders and police by reducing unnecessary 911 calls and dispatches.
Moving to a long-term funding model is critical to ensure the system continues to meet the needs of all Granite Staters.
Take Action
*Most Effective* Call Your State Senator (Script Provided)
A phone call is the most effective way to contact a legislator!
First, find your State Senator and their office phone number.
The phone numbers listed are for State Senator's offices at the State House. Each State Senator shares a staffer with other Senators, so please mention your Senator's name.
If you call outside of State House hours, you may leave a message asking for support of SB 255 along with your State Senator's name, your name, your town, your phone number, and personal remarks.
Many advocates find it helpful to prepare before making a call. Please find a sample script below.
Hi, I'm calling for State Senator [Last Name]. My name is [First and Last Name] and I'm from [Your Town].
I am calling to ask the Senator to support SB 255.
Choose a few of the suggested points below:
- I appreciate the Senator's service to New Hampshire.
- SB 255 proposes a fiscally responsible, commonsense solution to permanently fund the New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point.
- SB 255 uses the same proven model for 988 funding that has worked for our 911 system for decades.
- The New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point is an essential pillar of our behavioral health crisis system and part of the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline system.
- Just in 2024, New Hampshire’s call centers assisted individuals in crisis over 46,000 times via phone, text, and/or online chat.
- Share a personal story about accessing care for yourself, a loved one, or a client/patient, etc. through:
- The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and/or the New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point (NH988.com) via call, text message, or online chat.
- A mobile rapid crisis response team.
- A crisis stabilization center (located in Derry at the Center for Life Management and Laconia at Lakes Region Mental Health Center).
- If you are a first responder, speak to the importance of having care available specifically for those experiencing crises related to mental health and/or substance use.
- When a Granite Stater in crisis calls 988, they reach a crisis operator who can listen to the caller's problems, help lower stress, or, if needed, connect the caller with one of New Hampshire's Rapid Response Teams to better address the caller's needs.
- To address Veteran suicide rates that are significantly higher than the general population, the 988 system has a special program called the Veterans/Military Crisis Line that can be accessed by dialing "1" after "988". This program was sought out by 2,168 Granite State contacts in 2024.
- This crisis care system protects access to timely and clinically appropriate services while preventing unnecessary and expensive hospitalizations. Access to crisis care reduces uncompensated care and wait times at our local hospitals' emergency departments.
- Despite the growing mental health crisis in our state, New Hampshire’s behavioral health crisis system is funded through a patchwork of sources that do not offer long-term stability. Moving to a long-term funding model is critical to ensure the system continues to meet the needs of all Granite Staters.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Please support SB 255.
Easy Action Form to Email Your State Senator
Share Your Story
Attend or Testify at a Public Hearing
Show your support by attending or testifying at the public hearing! New Futures can help you prepare remarks, find the committee room, and offer moral support at the hearing.
Please see the Bill Status section below to see if this bill is currently scheduled for a hearing.
If you are interested in attending a currently scheduled hearing or would like us to let you know when future hearings are scheduled, please fill out the form below.
You can learn more about what to expect on our Ways to Advocate webpage.
Spread the Word: Fact Sheet
Download and share our one-pager:
Spread the Word: Social Media
Check out our social media channels and share our latest posts about Senate Bill 255!
Bill Status
FEBRUARY 6: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 255. You can read the committee report here. 295 people signed in to support the bill, 2 people signed in to oppose, and 3 were neutral.
FEBRUARY 19: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee recommended 5-0 that the full Senate pass the bill.
MARCH 6: The NH State Senate passed the bill as part of their consent calendar (where less controversial bills are voted on together by voice vote).
MARCH 18: As the bill involves state finances, (signified by FN for "fiscal note" after the bill number), it was considered next by the Senate Finance Committee. They recommended 7-0 that the full Senate pass the bill. However, they did not place the bill on the consent calendar, likely because they intend for the bill to be tabled in the full Senate, where it may be included in the Senate's version of the state budget.
March 27: The bill was unanimously tabled for possible inclusion in the Senate’s version of the NH state budget.
Next: The Senate Finance Committee will put together their version of the NH state budget, and may include language from SB 255.
You can learn more about how New Hampshire's legislative process works on our About the Legislature webpage, or take one of our advocacy trainings.
References
- “988 data.” Email from Division for Behavioral Health: New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. March 3, 2025.
- SAMHSA National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care: Best Practice Toolkit. https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/national-guidelines-for-behavioral-health-crisis-care-02242020.pdf. The table on page 44 shows the very real cost savings that can be realized by implementing mobile crisis and facility-based crisis services in your community... When mobile team and facility-based crisis services are included in optimal ratios (last column of table that follows), total cost drops by 52% in these projections despite engaging all of these individuals. This means that 32% more individuals are served with programs that align better to the unique level of clinical need while costs are reduced by 52%.”
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Crisis Services: Effectiveness, Cost Effectiveness, and Funding Strategies. https://library.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/sma14-4848.pdf. HHS Publication No. (SMA)-14-4848. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014.
