[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6578652,"mediaKeyId","3150497-d8e826f615d922127266da4fe2d3b685","parentId",3150497,"title","Children, youth services face cuts to residential treatment and support contracts; SYSC staffing and costs remain a committee concern","audioSeconds",4163,"startMs",4867000,"endMs",9030000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3150497-d8e826f615d922127266da4fe2d3b685&start=4867&end=9030","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3150497-d8e826f615d922127266da4fe2d3b685/thumbnail_4867000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6578652/New-Hampshire/Children-youth-services-face-cuts-to-residential-treatment-and-support-contracts-SYSC-staffing-and-costs-remain-a-committee-concern","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6578652-d40cf42943d5e7f292696fe5e7e8e0fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165686&Signature=mCXBddkd9F2QksRXKZbWZubEEjC3vYSvEi3Vruh7sCMsVYbSt5jJhwKf3ZoSmqWQ5N~Rx0WxBXcagFKMz684Z0Ywlma8Z7nkU05o7T6k6CoIWtqyhemg16wUcod7GwZ7mIqaVSJxOiNdxz6XQVkrJqpVX76ebWWBhfO9Z~6o6unU0J-dn~yeQW6Gv1kkYmnrY~veG4vSz1IS39YgjYFfY8fYuZJIdfk1eqg7JKS5E9unEh2K1Mg18FLKzDmmFxTO1Tuj11scqWnyw92Khy1~ZHh8wdHKGf6TO3dw3bhd6ngCAoh2CvrDno-PRa59CRn26QjREjJbUAtcr07KRiSQng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Hampshire Legislature","date","2025-04-29T19:40:01.337Z","article","Marie Noonan, director of the Division for Children, Youth and Families, told the committee that DCYF and the Bureau for Children's Behavioral Health together face a $10.8 million reduction in children's residential-treatment funding under the House appropriation compared with the governor’s proposal. “We believe these put children with the highest needs at risk,” she said.

Noonan described the department’s strategy to reduce reliance on out-of-state residential care by expanding in-state residential, enhanced foster-care rates and community services. She said the House and governor both funded a new enhanced foster-care rate intended for short-term (roughly 60-day) placements that keep youth in family settings, and that transportation rate increases the department requested were included.

Noonan highlighted other program effects: the House removed funding for a licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor (MLADAC) contract that co-locates substance-use assessment, testing and treatment with DCYF district offices; Noonan said the contract also enables immediate on-scene consultation during investigations and helps bypass community wait lists. Since July 1, 2024, the MLADAC expansion referred 183 youth to the program, Noonan said.

On juvenile corrections, Noonan reviewed the Sununu Youth Services Center (SYSC) budget and staffing. The house reduced personnel and temporary-staffing allowances and applied a $300,000 blanket personnel reduction for fiscal 2026; Noonan said the department expects to hold back six position postings to meet the reduction but that doing so will leave the program short in 2027. She also defended SYSC staffing levels and operating costs as necessary to run a secure 24/7 treatment facility and said some of the prior-year budget assumptions had required overtime and temporary-staff contracts to preserve safety when staffing fell to critically low levels.

Noonan said DCYF received funding tied to legislative changes expanding jurisdiction for educational services (House Bill 1588) and for enhanced oversight of residential placements (Senate Bill 417) but that additional DCYF attorney positions requested to implement some oversight provisions were not funded.

Why this matters: Cuts to residential treatment and co-located substance-use assessment services, and uncertainty about SYSC personnel funding, affect placement options for high-needs youth, the department’s ability to provide immediate substance-use intervention and the costs of secure care.

Noonan said DCYF will review every residential case to determine whether step-down placements are appropriate and asked the committee to consider moving general-fund appropriations between years to smooth demand spikes and to restore funding for critical contracts and positions removed in the House budget.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Finance (04/29/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","Marie Noonan, director of DCYF, told senators the House budget removes about $10.8 million in children's residential-treatment funding across DHHS and that DCYF is concerned that reductions and contract cuts will put high‑need children at risk.","taxTitle","Judiciary, Senate , Committees\t, Legislative, New Hampshire","taxId",29511,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6578662,"Eligibility staffing cuts and call-center funding threaten benefit processing, DHHS official warns",657,2043000,2700000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3150497-d8e826f615d922127266da4fe2d3b685&start=2043&end=2700","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3150497-d8e826f615d922127266da4fe2d3b685/thumbnail_2043000.jpg","/articles/6578662/New-Hampshire/Eligibility-staffing-cuts-and-call-center-funding-threaten-benefit-processing-DHHS-official-warns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6578662-a160208890a4d1f2c289b7bab60d0175/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165686&Signature=UWyuUe59qimQx6WrJoOUFSL3hBxik4IJvGTWcH1lGXBU3HhKQoEXVkaVEuGQYWGhRNykkWDJK4USdHyTUamEyv3ZkwIboHaS6MB23wpo-~PwtzM3YAocBlYKHLSvoyJ1txlRpGO-zxKua-7kegaleappJ3iXE0LpvVTba0gPr5pmJvqJTOJM-6~Smnr1VEKn-JBinmsZhL500G-y9yPOwDImU6WzM1R9Wpt3CskbmmNyJ0v8hUSdOhVjoDkIFFfyA6tGQbaw6THSESkoF3nS~mkhL1K5gJ~G1q6yZcJWvrKkKK1PcQq8GRO19T84aKWYgzoiCfF0~CHyJ3rwU2NTfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Karen Hebert, director of the Division of Economic Stability, told senators the division delivers cash assistance, child support, SNAP and childcare programs and depends heavily on personnel to make eligibility determinations. She said personnel account for roughly 35% of the division’s budget and roughly 56% of its funding is federal.

Hebert summarized daily workload and the magnitude of demand: “There are about 204,000 individuals who receive services through our bureau. There are about 21,000 applications received and processed each month. We receive about 30,000 incoming phone calls through the current tier 1 call center now,” she said.

The division told the panel that the governor and House proposals unfund 69 positions — roughly 24% of eligibility staff — leaving the bureau with a current vacancy rate of about 22.5% and an attrition rate near 10%. Hebert said about 27% of filled positions are in training and not yet making determinations. She said an expected Medicaid policy change effective July 1 will increase workload by roughly 36,000 cases a year.

Hebert said the division’s prioritized need is a continuing Tier 1 call center to maintain capacity. Without the call center, she said, staff would have to divert about 7% of their time to answer phones, increasing wait times, call abandonment and processing backlogs. “Not having the call center also creates a risk of financial penalties due to the increase in SNAP errors,” she said.

Senators asked operational questions about how quickly a call center could be stood up; Hebert said a call center currently exists but the contract expires June 30. She said ServiceLink could play a larger role in on-the-ground client support.

Why this matters: Unfunding eligibility positions and losing call-center capacity could slow determinations for Medicaid, SNAP and TANF, increase complaints, raise error rates and create financial penalties the state would face under federal rules.

The division asked the committee to consider funding for the call center and for technical or organizational changes to protect processing capacity while system changes and workforce recruitment proceed.","Karen Hebert, director of the Division of Economic Stability at DHHS, told the Senate committee that 69 eligibility positions were unfunded in recent budget proposals and that losing or failing to renew the division’s Tier 1 call-center contract would force staff from processing to phones, increase waits and raise the risk of SNAP errors.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6578667,"House budget shifts liquor commission funding to opioid trust; behavioral-health leaders warn of service gaps",361,296000,657000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3150497-d8e826f615d922127266da4fe2d3b685&start=296&end=657","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3150497-d8e826f615d922127266da4fe2d3b685/thumbnail_296000.jpg","/articles/6578667/New-Hampshire/House-budget-shifts-liquor-commission-funding-to-opioid-trust-behavioral-health-leaders-warn-of-service-gaps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6578667-df628bf419afedfc48254493d8ac3d2f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165686&Signature=NUQ1HDWibEjKd0sjro2A50dlo94DAPqTeHuaC-Hru5CPOqPzF57Km~etKcsjgi~bLoge1wmAV9y4pZojQGwSmbxVHc4ScP4ZHTrpCV4WvdDsYybwD7JpRE5i~YKZa5RM5ogrvVQfO5lksIfNsGoS6DBnZdGkoWb5yLeqd2r1AEjZV6QHa-bnanpsud35M5bgBDsM5hjHpEYBNNX~36cDGwqff3-w5Ph5REcrxzudqjXMLFBULvXXrW4woMAIh-t3OAnFtsENNBVnsyLq5LIXnXfpdrJjxj-vI~YNRhDxBX~faZLIcHhZ-8qM4BSEapasaoGMRkM98jR6QBlkGWDCDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Katia Fox, director of the Division for Behavioral Health at the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee that the House budget would replace the liquor-commission tied funding for the governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Other Drugs with an HB 2 appropriation drawn from the opioid abatement trust fund.

Fox said the liquor commission historically contributed about 5% of gross revenues — roughly $10,700,000 a year — to an alcohol fund that the governor’s commission used flexibly. “If the governor's commission now [uses] opioid abatement funds, those restrictions start to apply,” Fox said, noting the opioid settlements impose parameters on allowable uses of the money.

The change, Fox said, keeps the dollar amount but shifts its source. “That means the 10.7 will remain the same. However, the funding source changes to the opioid abatement trust fund,” she said. Because opioid-abatement dollars are often restricted to opioid-specific responses, Fox warned the reallocation could cut funding for programs that address alcohol, methamphetamine and cocaine and for services that the commission had funded to fill gaps in the broader substance-use system.

Nathan White, chief financial officer for DHHS, told senators the department is already concerned about available balances in the trust. “As of today, based on the obligations ... there’s a balance of about $400,000,” White said, adding that HB 2 language may force termination and liquidation of contracts effective May 1 or later to free up money to cover the $10.7 million appropriation the House proposes for the governor’s commission.

Fox and committee members highlighted specific program impacts they expect if the funds become restricted to opioid-only use. Fox said the “doorways” program — a set of nine access points for treatment and referral — is primarily supported by the state opioid response grant but has also received governor’s commission funding to make it substance-agnostic. “The doorways are primarily funded by the state opioid response grant … the governor’s commission has made significant investments in the doorways so that they can address all types of addiction,” she said. If the governor’s commission must use only opioid-settlement funds, Fox said, some doorway services that address alcohol and other substances could lose funding.

Committee members asked whether the department could backfill lost flexible funds from other sources. Fox said the department’s flexibility has “diminished” and that reductions will force prioritization; she cautioned that backfilling non-opioid programs may not be possible. Senators also raised concerns about specific contract and grant obligations the trust has already committed to, including housing projects and shelter assistance.

Why this matters: Senators and department officials said the technical shift in HB 2 — replacing liquor-commission-derived funding with an opioid-settlement appropriation — risks reducing the state’s ability to fund non-opioid substance-use prevention and treatment and could force contract terminations to meet statutory direction in HB 2.

The committee asked DHHS staff for follow-up details on the trust fund balance, the contracts that might be affected and the exact fiscal mechanics of the House proposal. Fox and White said they would provide supporting documentation to the committee.

The department framed the shift as a trade-off between preserving current dollar levels and losing the flexibility that previously let the governor’s commission fill gaps across substances.","Katia Fox, director of the Division for Behavioral Health, told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee that the House version of HB 2 would shift about $10.7 million a year formerly tied to liquor-commission revenue into the opioid abatement trust fund, a move she said would preserve the dollar amount but impose restrictions that risk cutting non-opioid substance-use programs.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6578657,"NH long-term supports face cuts: county cap, congregate housing suspension and developmental-services waitlist risks",1294,3455000,4749000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3150497-d8e826f615d922127266da4fe2d3b685&start=3455&end=4749","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3150497-d8e826f615d922127266da4fe2d3b685/thumbnail_3455000.jpg","/articles/6578657/New-Hampshire/NH-long-term-supports-face-cuts-county-cap-congregate-housing-suspension-and-developmental-services-waitlist-risks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6578657-ac9b3c8f4b422b0dd5c59948256a105f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165686&Signature=OerZ3wJ5DISWcEaviyHKb6n842d4rzEKtDBMFePG-hLKDOGwYtDkz1ZvlXUJhH~DUl1l35c~qioZy~C618EfaOPEExpTLcxVsnrXYBWh3bEPbrWRfEzzPe0e1aDnMYwI~zQwvCqAq6igbFCAwxmJEh94KaLxcUmCfE--6K~GpP48B~Ls~WorvWWQ6nfBVG~irOM4c-TIsJxgFThWk5kqpeI8gow7HDSoZGGeWxSlBp0PUXIR6zfqv0j4Yt0~3jXT3~5RVVUBXK-Cf6RPmdOjpK0epmOmBPE2uKXs0bimuMqR8aFw47Le01zCn~1s2DwnWTL~L-zwkTNc4RMCSqSE3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Melissa Hardy, director of the Division of Long Term Supports and Services at DHHS, told the Senate committee the division oversees services across the lifespan, including adult and aging services, developmental services and family-centered services.

Hardy said the House proposal increases the county cap to 3% year over year for the next biennium and, separately, would suspend a congregate-housing program that previously had been funded at $750,000 of general funds for two housing authorities. “The congregate housing program … provides gap services for people to stay in the community,” she said, and the suspension raises questions about whether low-income elders can remain in lower-cost community settings instead of assisted living or nursing facilities.

Hardy also reported that the House removed funding the governor proposed to address the developmental disabilities (DD) waiver waitlist. The department had requested funds included in the governor’s recommended budget but the House left the waitlist appropriation out, which Hardy said risks creating or extending a waitlist for DD waiver services. She said the department requested an extension of an existing DD pilot so five people currently in the pilot could remain on services until they age out in mid-2027.

Other items Hardy discussed included a request for additional room-and-board support for residential providers (current appropriations pay room and board for roughly 240 beds; the division said 306 beds are not covered by the room-and-board appropriation) and an earlier one-time recreational-services appropriation of $500,000 that the division already spent. Hardy said providers report rising costs and may close programs without additional room-and-board support.

Why this matters: Changes to county-match rules, a suspended congregate-housing appropriation and removal of DD waitlist funding could increase costs for counties, reduce community housing options for low-income seniors, and place pressure on developmental-services providers and families.

Hardy asked senators to consider the division’s prioritized requests: the pilot extension for five individuals, additional room-and-board funding to stabilize community residential providers and reconsideration of the congregate-housing suspension.","Melissa Hardy, director of the Division of Long Term Supports and Services, told the Senate committee that the House proposal raises the county cap, suspends a congregate-housing program and removes funding that the division said was intended to prevent a developmental-disability waiver waitlist.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6578647,"Fish and Game warns sweeping dedicated accounts and proposed admin fee would create multimillion-dollar shortfall",1952,7200000,9152000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3150497-d8e826f615d922127266da4fe2d3b685&start=7200&end=9152","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3150497-d8e826f615d922127266da4fe2d3b685/thumbnail_7200000.jpg","/articles/6578647/New-Hampshire/Fish-and-Game-warns-sweeping-dedicated-accounts-and-proposed-admin-fee-would-create-multimillion-dollar-shortfall","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6578647-f7ef11908ec9febb115ec66c5f00ffc9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165686&Signature=NpcPpQB9MIYDGTW5QT2fjUMYcZvG-DesZ05YfdvVzC4cPljCBqDsFv6UfxXHgOSyOWNAUKQxVCnek-MCvOT0MiFbAcc9sVCoY~eCGspjA8-ZvdSEWveZQlA1VbKWPxlZbhLYHpiZE1uCsXCwX80XkiieEbyzza1yLF0BA6EWwfrTMfTUPoixokIR2fB-uG61GFn8AHrJJipe-ETaB5uHB-ql81mmbPxhp7eIPuK1nt~ABruqyDwF6VtrsR2JOZCaxefVWxK4tyI7zPe4-Wga8-8B7KzGraEq85SpRCcMSWkk~T0MBD5MHLpplQz0wlEZGXII4JsCyop6Twm4jZePpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Stephanie Simic, director of New Hampshire Fish and Game, testified to the Senate committee about several House budget provisions that the agency said would materially affect its finances and program operations.

Simic said House language removes a $1.5 million general-fund component that had been included previously to support conservation law enforcement, leaving Fish and Game to rely on the Fish and Game Fund as the default revenue source. The agency projected that, under current assumptions and absent changes, the Fish and Game Fund would show a negative balance of about $2.5 million by the end of the biennium if lapses and other offsets do not occur.

Simic and chief business manager Cathy Labonte also described two sets of House proposals the agency said would worsen the shortfall: a statutory sweep of dedicated accounts that the House would transfer (automatic transfers of balances above specified thresholds) and a proposed 5% administrative assessment on dedicated accounts. Simic warned the 5% fee, when applied to accounts that include federal grants or are used as state matches to federal programs, would be treated as a diversion of federal funds and could jeopardize federal funding streams.

The department also discussed the governor’s proposal to move environmental-review permitting work from Fish and Game to the Department of Environmental Services (DES). Simic said Fish and Game’s preference would be to retain the permitting work but that if the state transfers responsibility to DES, the department asked for language that preserves Fish and Game expertise, an ongoing consultation role and reimbursement for specialist time. The House proposal, Simic said, transfers most of the related positions to DES while leaving some duties ambiguous.

Simic raised procedural concerns about a new specialty plate (a loon/cyanobacteria plate) in HB 2, noting states that add specialty plates often see revenue cannibalization of existing conservation plates (for example, the moose plate), which can reduce funds available for conservation projects if revenue is not ring-fenced.

Why this matters: Fish and Game said a combination of dedicated-account sweeps, a proposed 5% administrative fee and the removal of certain general-fund support could create a structural deficit and reduce the agency’s ability to operate conservation, research, hatchery and enforcement programs. The agency asked the committee to reconsider automatic sweeps and the fee and to ensure that transfers do not violate federal-match requirements or undermine dedicated-account purposes.

Fish and Game asked the committee to preserve appropriations that support conservation-law enforcement, to exempt certain dedicated accounts from automatic sweeps, and to work with DES on any transfer of permitting responsibilities to preserve species expertise and reimbursement for consultation time.","New Hampshire Fish and Game Director Stephanie Simic told the Senate committee that House budget language would sweep or reassign dedicated-account balances into the Fish and Game Fund and add a 5% administrative fee to certain dedicated accounts. She warned those moves would disrupt federal funding matches, risk a fund deficit of about $2.5","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Children, youth services face cuts to residential treatment and support contracts; SYSC staffing and costs remain a committee concern

Eligibility staffing cuts and call-center funding threaten benefit processing, DHHS official warns

House budget shifts liquor commission funding to opioid trust; behavioral-health leaders warn of service gaps

NH long-term supports face cuts: county cap, congregate housing suspension and developmental-services waitlist risks

Fish and Game warns sweeping dedicated accounts and proposed admin fee would create multimillion-dollar shortfall