Which Kind of Help Do I Need? A Plain-Language Map of NH Mental Health & Substance Use Care
Written by Ken Haberland, LCMHC, MLADC, H&H Counseling • Last reviewed October 2026
Start here
New Hampshire has many kinds of mental health and substance use support, and most people do not know which one fits. This guide explains the major options in plain language so you can choose a reasonable starting point for yourself or someone you care about.
You do not need the perfect choice. A good first contact can help point you toward a better fit if needed.
If you need help right now
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988. Free, confidential, 24/7 support for emotional or substance-related crises. Veterans can press 1.
NH Rapid Response Access Point: call or text 833-710-6477, or reach it through 988. New Hampshire's statewide behavioral-health crisis system can provide phone support and, when appropriate, connect you with mobile crisis or a crisis center.
Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential, 24/7 text support.
Emergency department: go to the nearest emergency department if you cannot stay safe, or if someone may be experiencing dangerous withdrawal or a serious overdose.
Possible opioid overdose: call 911 and give naloxone (Narcan) if available. New Hampshire's Good Samaritan law provides limited protection related to controlled-drug possession when someone requests medical assistance in good faith for an overdose; it does not protect every possible offense.
Quick chooser: where to start
Find the row that sounds most like your situation. The sections that follow explain each option in more detail.
You are not safe, or someone is in immediate danger
Start with: 911, 988, or NH Rapid Response
Why: Immediate help, 24/7
You want help with drinking or drug use and do not know where to begin
Start with: 211 / The Doorway
Why: Connection to substance-use screening, referral, and next-step support
You have Medicaid, limited insurance, or need several services at once
Start with: Your regional community mental health center
Why: Statewide community-based mental-health system with a broad range of services
You are struggling with anxiety, depression, stress, grief, substance use, or a relationship and can still manage daily life
Start with: Outpatient therapy
Why: Regular sessions in person or by secure video
Weekly therapy is not enough, but you do not need to live somewhere for treatment
Start with: IOP or PHP
Why: Several hours of structured treatment while you continue living at home
You may have dangerous withdrawal, or need round-the-clock structure
Start with: Withdrawal management or residential treatment
Why: Medical support and/or 24-hour treatment structure
You want support from people with lived experience
Start with: Recovery community organization or mutual-help group
Why: Peer support and community connection
You are worried about someone else
Start with: Support for yourself + a concrete next step
Why: Helps you respond without carrying the situation alone
The kinds of help, explained
Care ranges from light-touch support to round-the-clock treatment. People do not all start in the same place, and it is normal to move up or down in intensity as needs change.
The Doorway (substance use)
The Doorway is New Hampshire's statewide access system for people looking for help with alcohol or drug use. Call 211 at any hour to be connected to The Doorway. Nine Doorway locations, based at community hospitals across the state, also offer in-person help on weekdays; find yours at thedoorway.nh.gov and check current hours before going.
Good fit if: you know substance use is becoming a problem but are not sure what level or type of care to start with.
Community mental health centers
New Hampshire has 10 regional community mental health centers (CMHCs) with locations across the state. They provide a range of services that can include outpatient therapy, psychiatry, case management, crisis care, and supports for serious or persistent mental illness. CMHCs accept NH Medicaid, and many offer reduced fees based on income; ask about costs when you call. Specific programs, eligibility, and wait times vary by center.
Good fit if: you use Medicaid, need psychiatry and therapy together, need case-management support, or are living with a serious or long-term mental-health condition.
Outpatient therapy (private practices and clinics)
Outpatient therapy is regular counseling, often weekly or every other week, in an office or by secure video. Licensed mental-health clinicians may include LCMHCs, LICSWs, LMFTs, and psychologists. Licensed alcohol and drug counselors (LADC/MLADC) specialize in substance-use concerns. Some clinicians are trained to work with both mental-health and substance-use concerns.
Good fit if: you can manage daily life but want help changing a pattern, improving symptoms, strengthening a relationship, or staying in recovery. Couples counseling usually happens at this level.
Intensive outpatient (IOP) and partial hospitalization (PHP)
IOP and PHP programs provide more structure than weekly outpatient therapy while you continue living at home. IOPs commonly meet multiple days per week for several hours at a time. PHPs are generally more intensive and can resemble a full treatment day. Programs often use a mix of group treatment, education, medication support, and individual sessions.
Good fit if: weekly therapy is not enough, you are stepping down from residential or inpatient care, or you need a temporary increase in structure.
Withdrawal management and residential treatment
Withdrawal management provides medical monitoring while alcohol or drugs leave the body. Stopping alcohol, benzodiazepines, or other sedatives suddenly can be dangerous; talk with a medical professional rather than trying to manage potentially severe withdrawal alone. Residential treatment means living at a treatment program for a period of time while receiving structured care.
Good fit if: you may have dangerous withdrawal, have not been able to stop with outpatient support, or your current environment makes stabilization very difficult.
Medication
Medication can be part of treatment for depression, anxiety, opioid use disorder, alcohol use disorder, and other conditions. Primary-care clinicians, psychiatric prescribers, and other qualified medical professionals can discuss medication options. For many people, medication and counseling are used together.
Peer recovery support and mutual-help groups
Recovery community organizations can provide peer recovery coaching, meetings, and connection with people who have lived experience. Mutual-help groups include Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), SMART Recovery, and family-focused groups such as Al-Anon or Nar-Anon. Peer and mutual-help support can be used on its own or alongside professional treatment.
Good fit if: you want connection, encouragement, and practical support from people who understand recovery firsthand.
Telehealth: therapy by video
Many New Hampshire clinicians provide therapy through secure video, which can expand your options beyond your immediate town. This can be especially helpful in rural areas, with long drives, caregiving responsibilities, or work schedules that make office visits difficult.
The clinician generally must be licensed or otherwise authorized to practice where you are physically located during the session.
New Hampshire Medicaid covers many eligible health-care services through telehealth. Many commercial plans also include telehealth benefits, but coverage and cost-sharing vary by plan.
Choose a private, reasonably quiet place where you can speak freely. Your clinician can help problem-solve privacy or technology barriers.
Telehealth may not be the right format during an emergency or when in-person monitoring or a higher level of care is needed.
Paying for care
Cost and coverage vary widely. A few questions before the first visit can prevent surprises.
Free or no-cost starting points: 988, NH Rapid Response, 211, many recovery-community services, and mutual-help groups.
NH Medicaid: covers behavioral-health services, including many therapy and substance-use treatment services. Network and service rules still apply.
Commercial insurance: ask about your outpatient mental-health and substance-use benefits, deductible, copay or coinsurance, and whether the clinician or program is in network.
Sliding fee or financial assistance: some community programs and practices offer reduced-fee options. Ask what is available.
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): some employers offer a limited number of short-term counseling sessions or referral support.
Out-of-network care: if a clinician does not take your insurance, ask your plan whether you have out-of-network benefits and whether the clinician can provide a superbill.
Questions to ask any provider
1. Do you have openings, and how soon is the first appointment?
2. Do you take my insurance? If not, what does a session or program cost?
3. Do you regularly work with what I am dealing with (for example, anxiety, alcohol use, trauma, or relationship concerns)?
4. Do you offer telehealth, in-person appointments, or both?
5. What does treatment usually look like, and how will we know whether it is helping?
6. If I need more support than you offer, how do you help people find the next level of care?
At a first outpatient appointment, expect paperwork and questions about what brought you in, relevant history, current safety, medications or substance use when applicable, and what you want to change. You do not have to tell your entire life story in one sitting. It is also reasonable to change clinicians if the fit is not working.
If you are helping someone else
In most non-emergency situations, you cannot force another adult into voluntary treatment. You can still make it easier for them to accept help and make sure you are not carrying the situation alone.
Pick a calm moment. Avoid having the conversation while the person is intoxicated or in the middle of a fight.
Lead with what you have noticed and how you feel, rather than labels. "I have noticed you have been drinking more and I am worried" is usually easier to hear than "You are an alcoholic."
Have one concrete next step ready: call 211 together, look up a provider, attend a support meeting, or make one appointment.
Get support for yourself. Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, family-support programs, and your own counseling can help whether or not your loved one is ready.
If they talk about suicide, appear unable to stay safe, or there is immediate danger, use 988 or NH Rapid Response, or call 911, as appropriate.
Statewide numbers and links
911
Immediate danger or medical emergency
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988; 988lifeline.org
Emotional or substance-related crisis support, 24/7
NH Rapid Response Access Point
Call or text 833-710-6477, or reach it through 988; nh988.com
Statewide behavioral-health crisis support; may connect you with mobile crisis or a crisis center
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741; crisistextline.org
Free, confidential text support, 24/7
211 New Hampshire / The Doorway
Dial 211; 211nh.org; thedoorway.nh.gov
Substance-use help and connection to The Doorway; also housing, food, and other community services
NH Alcohol & Drug Treatment Locator
Search New Hampshire substance-use treatment by type and location
FindTreatment.gov
National treatment locator for mental health and substance use
SAMHSA National Helpline
1-800-662-4357; samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
Free treatment information and referral
NAMI New Hampshire
1-800-242-6264; naminh.org
Information, education, support, and resource connection for individuals and families
Alcoholics Anonymous, NH Area 43
1-800-593-3330; nhaa.net
24/7 AA helpline and meeting information
About this guide
This guide was written by Ken Haberland, LCMHC, MLADC of H&H Counseling to help New Hampshire residents understand common mental-health and substance-use care options, wherever they ultimately receive care. It is general educational information, not medical, legal, or insurance advice. Services, hours, eligibility rules, phone numbers, and insurance coverage can change. Confirm current details with the organization or your health plan.
You are welcome to print, share, or link to this guide. If you maintain a New Hampshire community-resource page and notice something that should be updated, H&H Counseling welcomes corrections. We review this guide every six months.
About H&H Counseling
H&H Counseling provides outpatient counseling for adults and couples, including support for anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships, substance use, recovery, and related concerns. In-person appointments are available in Tilton and Concord, New Hampshire, with telehealth available statewide based on clinician licensure, service fit, and availability.
Request care: counselinghh.com/intake • Call or text: 978-547-8633
Official sources reviewed
New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point: nh988.com
The Doorway, NH Department of Health and Human Services: thedoorway.nh.gov and Doorway locations
NH Community Behavioral Health Association, New Hampshire's 10 community mental health centers: nhcbha.org
NH Medicaid telehealth coverage, RSA 167:4-d, as summarized by the Center for Connected Health Policy: cchpca.org/new-hampshire
NH Good Samaritan law for drug overdoses, RSA 318-B:28-b: gc.nh.gov
Crisis Text Line: crisistextline.org
211 New Hampshire: 211nh.org
SAMHSA treatment and helpline resources: samhsa.gov/find-help
NAMI New Hampshire Information & Resource Line: naminh.org/ir
Alcoholics Anonymous, New Hampshire Area 43: nhaa.net
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