February 2022/Issue XXVIV |
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NH Rapid Response Access Point
24/7 Crisis Support
833-710-6477
(call or text)
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💖 This Valentine’s Day 💖
Mental health is in play.
Give from your heart 💖
To boost our good start!
Go beyond the norm
A gift, if you’re able
Will help keep us stable.
Dedicate your gift,
Give your spirits a lift.
Honor someone with pride
With love on your side.
Be bold, stand up tall
With a gift, large or small.
Please go the extra mile
For a Valentine’s Day smile.
Click Here for our secure online gift form. Check the box to dedicate your gift to honor your special someone by name. Your gift will support financial aid for our neediest clients who live locally and can’t afford mental health care.
Thank you and have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
With much love from all of us at West Central.
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Psychology Today: On Self-Love
While we're on the topic of Valentine's Day, loving yourself matters this month and every month. Nancy Collier, LCSW, Rev. writes, "With Valentine’s Day coming, love is on the brain and heart."
"When we spend time lovingly paying attention to ourselves, attending to our own nourishment, we generate more love and enrich ourselves to become greater vehicles of kindness. Self-love inspires love for others." Click Here to read more.
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The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
As social media and smart phones reach deeper into our lives, let’s be aware of their impact on our mental health — especially for children. This New Hampshire Bulletin article by Vic Topo, the CEO for the Center for Life Management, suggests that reducing screen time and delaying entry into social media can protect our most vulnerable age groups.
If there is a child in your life in need of mental health support, West Central offers Child & Family Services, including an Early Childhood program for children ages 0-5.
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85% of our clients are Medicaid or Medicaid-eligible?
- Older adults
- People with disabilities
- Children
- Pregnant people
- Parents and/or caretakers of children
Medicare, on the other hand, is a federal program that provides health coverage if you are 65+ or under 65 and have a disability, no matter your income.
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Need to set up your first appointment? Call our 'New Client'
Appointment Line
603-542-5128
Teletherapy and in-person appointments
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Youth CAN Coalition
Looking for some winter fun? Support the Youth CAN Coalition at the 106th Newport Winter Carnival on Saturday February 12th. Stop by the Thump the Stump game and visit West Central's Scott Blewitt, our Youth CAN Prevention Coordinator. Click on the image for the full calendar of events. Winter Carnival runs from February 10th to February 13th.
The Youth CAN Coalition is here to strengthen and expand community partnerships to prevent and reduce substance misuse among youth in Claremont and Newport. Stay tuned for details on the Coalition's Drug-Free Communities kick-off event coming soon!
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Our Heightened State of Emergency
The Omicron variant has stretched our resources beyond the already significant workforce shortages across the community behavioral healthcare landscape in New Hampshire during the past two years. We pledge and resolve to deliver the highest quality of care to our clients, recognizing that our staffing numbers do not allow us to accept most new intakes from jails, community hospitals, or the general public. We will continue treatment for our existing clients, provide community-wide mobile crisis services on a 24/7 basis, maintain care for adults at our residence program in Newport, and accept intakes from New Hampshire Hospital, Northeastern Family Institute, and Philbrook Adult Transitional Housing.
Most of all, our dedicated staff need our help so they don’t overextend themselves. Caring for our employees is caring for our clients in this evolving pandemic when there simply are not enough trained clinicians to serve our community’s growing behavioral health demands.
As always, if you are in crisis, please call or text the NH Rapid Response Access Point at 833-710-6477, or visit NH988.com to chat online with a crisis clinician who will help you 24/7. Our mobile crisis services teams are standing by should anyone within NH need in-person crisis care.
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We're hiring!
Available positions include Mobile Crisis Response Clinicians, Peer Support Specialists, Team Leaders, Clinical Secretaries, Residential Specialists, Mental Health Therapists, Adult & Child Case Managers, and more. If you have an interest in helping others who truly need help, there's no more gratifying and meaningful work than in community behavioral health. Click Here for our Careers web page to find your next professional step that will make a world of difference for others and help you feel good about your work!
Watch this Video to learn more about how West Central clinicians and staff help their clients thrive.
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We continue to encourage all our clients, staff, and all others in the community to get COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots, and to get seasonal flu shots.
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Warmth in Canaan
This Eagle Times article by Dave Celone, West Central's director of development and community relations, outlines his trip to Canaan to collect signatures on a chilly January morning and the town's warmth, generosity, and willingness to talk about mental health.
Mid-winter Musings
Dr. Diane Roston, West Central's medical director, offers insights on dealing with adversity in this Eagle Times article . (This article was also recently published in the Concord Monitor, Union Leader, NH Bulletin, and the Valley News. Bravo, Diane!)
New Tool in Mental Health Treatment
Click Here to read about Bill Metcalf, our director of mobile crisis services, in the NH Bulletin as he discusses the benefits of the NH Rapid Response Access Point (mobile crisis response).
Pictured above left to right: George Lazarus and Harry Armstrong at Chappy's in Canaan
Photo Credit: Dave Celone
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Community Health Needs Assesment
Every three years, a host of local organizations complete a Community Health Needs Assessment. The just completed 2022 Assessment lists availability of mental health care as the most pressing health need, followed by cost of health care services. Click on the image to view the details of the Community Health Improvement Plan designed to change the behaviors and community conditions that have the greatest impact on health in our region.
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On Vaccinations...
At this time, both NH and VT are vaccinating anyone 5 years of age or older regardless of residency. COVID vaccines and boosters are available for anyone 18 and older at many walk-in locations.
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has made it easier for you to receive your COVID-19 vaccine. In a partnership with Convenient MD, the NH Mobile Vaccine Van is available to provide free vaccination clinics across the state at any location to groups of all sizes. You can get COVID-19 vaccine information at vaccines.nh.gov or by calling 2-1-1. For VT vaccination information, Click Here to learn more.
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Do you like what we're doing in our community? If you're able to make a gift to us, please do. We're a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) non-profit serving clients in the Upper Valley and Sullivan County with offices in Lebanon, Claremont, and Newport, NH. Last year, we extended nearly $600,000 in unreimbursed charitable care to vulnerable people in need of our services. No gift is too small, and we accept monthly recurring contributions on our online giving page. For more information, please visit our Giving page or contact
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Share This Newsletter...You Might Save a Life |
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This newsletter is sent monthly to West Central staff, Board & Committee members, and our many friends and supporters. Please share it with your friends and family so people remember our name and the work we do as this region's community mental health, substance use disorder, and 24/7 mobile crisis response center.
When people in need know who we are,
they'll contact us before a crisis occurs.
Sign Up to receive West Central News each month
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NH Rapid Response Access Point
24/7 Crisis Support
833-710-6477
(call or text)
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