We are a couple of women who came together to address a need in our community. Kerry Norton RN and myself (Colene Arnold), an MD OB/GYN physician, are spearheading a grass roots effort here in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire to provide a safe nurturing home for Pregnant Women with Substance Use Disorder, along with their children and unborn child for up to a year postpartum.
We have over a 100 volunteers who have signed up to assist us along the way.
We have obtained our 501 status with all the benefits of a non profit!!

We have worked with our local ZBA to get approval to house up to 8 women and their babies. There was opposition presented at the city variance meeting, however the ZBA thoughtfully listened, considered the crisis that we are facing here in our local community and awarded the variance.

We filled the room with supporters, many of which were brave enough to speak for those who are seeking recovery. New Hampshire is currently in a crisis situation as it pertains to the heroin epidemic, as is the rest of the country, however, we rank top in the nation regarding addiction, yet 49th in the nation as far as treatment.

Hope On Haven Hill will be located in my current home which sits upon 0.9 acres and has 7 bedrooms in the town of Rochester, NH. We hope to be able to open our doors in the summer of 2016. My family will be relocating at that time. Hope On Haven Hill will be a licensed 24 hour Residential Recovery Facility for pregnant women providing on site comprehensive drug and alcohol counseling with a Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor with both private and group sessions. We will also provide counseling for Co-occurring mental health disorders that often times go along with an addiction diagnosis. Our women will be enrolled in Child Birth Education Classes, Parenting Classes and Family Therapy sessions. Assistance obtaining their GED or furthering their education to support our goal and hopefully their goal of being independent in the future, will be provided. An emphasis on rebuilding their support network will be fostered as well. We have to make the solution bigger than the problem and by rolling up our sleeves we will do everything in our power to make a difference.

Removing these women from a life of despair and placing them in a nurturing, supportive home environment will help to rebuild their self-esteem, confidence, trust and sense of community. Being a part of a larger group helping to make life better for themselves, their children and their unborn child, during their recovery, will help to prevent a relapse during this critical stage of their lives. 10% of newborns in this area are born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, a withdrawal condition that neonates go through when they are born to women who are actively using opiates or are in treatment for their opiate addiction with Methadone or to a lesser degree Bupinorphine. We will be working with the local hospitals to provide much needed education regarding this issue to the women of our program and the community. Anyone, anytime can recover and the time is now to act!

Kerry and I are passionate about this endeavor as we have seen first-hand how addiction can cripple a person and strip them of all hope. Kerry's son is currently in Recovery for a heroin addiction that almost took his life if it were not for her hard fought battle to get him the help he needed. Treatment here in New Hampshire was unavailable to him despite having medical insurance. She spent countless hours on the phone trying to get him into treatment programs and ultimately was able to find a place for him out of state for treatment but in the meantime he overdosed and severed many support systems he had. Kerry held him up as she is doing now to so many within our community. After receiving treatment and continuing in peer to peer support groups her son is now thriving, maintaining his sobriety alongside his partner and two children.

Alcohol addiction has also been a part of both Kerry's and my life as we grew up, the impact of that imprint on a person's psyche is known first hand. I have been in healthcare for over 30 years and a practicing Obstetrician Gynecologist for 15 years. Nothing rips a family apart like addiction, which is a documented mental illness and not a moral weakness as much of society views it. The stigma is alive and well. Most other critical illnesses will pull a family together to align their forces to support the person afflicted, not typically so with addiction. Pregnancy is a time which can be motivating to a woman, to do something, anything, to help her unborn child no matter what her tortured past has been.

However the system is fractured and women do not know where to turn for support. Clinicians during this time of tremendous stress on the medical system do not know where to refer women to get the adequate support that they need. There is only 1 facility for pregnant women with a substance use disorder in New Hampshire which is over an hour way and only has 7 beds which are often times full and not convenient for women in this area. We are fighting to provide a local answer to this one segment of the population. We won't be able to help everyone. To quote one of our supporters at the variance meeting, "We don't just need one Hope On Haven Hill, we need 50 Hope On Haven Hills."

We have many examples in our area of pregnant women who would currently benefit from this type of program if it were already in existence. I take care of them regularly at the Community Health Center in which I provide prenatal care services. Kerry gets requests from pregnant women with substance use disorder on social media reaching out to her for help because the word is out regarding the future Hope On Haven Hill.

One woman in particular reached out to her to see if we were taking applications yet for a place for her and her unborn child to live while she got treatment for her addiction to heroin. Haley is now 30 weeks pregnant. Kerry has spent countless hours trying to get Haley the help she needs. In the meantime she was couch surfing as she was homeless. She then relapsed and started using heroin again. She was refused detox treatment from local hospitals and given a slip of paper with phone numbers of other facilities to contact, all dead ends. She ultimately was able to get into a psychiatric inpatient facility by lying about planning to harm herself. She was admitted for 5 days, underwent a medical detox, then was provided a prescription for Bupinorphine and discharged. Thankfully Kerry was able to secure a bed for her in a homeless shelter for pregnant woman, which is the only other site available that would take her. It's a daily struggle to find Haley transportation to attend counseling sessions outside of the area and to obtain her prescription for Bupinorphine so as not to relapse again.

Hope On Haven Hill will put all of these services under one roof to help Haley maintain her sobriety and give her and her unborn child hope for a future free of the chains of addiction. Unfortunately, we are not yet prepared to open our doors as we plan to be a Level 3.5 licensed Residential Rehab Facility, which takes time; and raising the capital to be able to move forward is also a daunting prospect. New Hampshire residents are losing their battles with addiction every day that there is a lack of treatment available. People are dying waiting for treatment and we have attended the funerals of way too many young people in this community who have lost their lives to this illness. We are a motivated group and we don't plan to let anything get in our way, so onward we march. We will move mountains to open the doors to Hope On Haven Hill. Those mountains will become hills, and we as a community will prevail. This community believes in the power of its people, that all lives matter and that the time to act is now.

Mission statement:"To provide a nurturing therapeutic home environment for pregnant women with substance use disorder who are seeking recovery."

Vision statement:
"By providing a safe home with comprehensive addiction treatment services, family therapy, parenting classes, advancement in education and life coaching we will support families in their recovery from addiction. An enriched self-esteem, confidence and a tool belt full of life skills will promote independence and sustained sobriety."

Goal statement:
"To open our doors and accept residents during the summer of 2016. Sooner, if the stars align, as we are hoping they do. 501c3 nonprofit status is pending."

Colene Arnold, MD OB/GYN physician

Colene grew up in New England and completed her Bachelors Degree at the University of Connecticut and later graduated from the Physician Associates Program through Yale University. Having always been community minded she then spent the next 12 years in Oklahoma with the National Health Service Corp and the Indian Health Service. She was drawn to Women's Health and pregnancy which led her to the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center for Medical School and the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program which she graduated from in 2003.

She ultimately returned to New England and has been with Garrison Women's Health Center in Dover, New Hampshire and Goodwin Health Center in Somersworth where she cares for high risk pregnancies. She lives at home in Rochester, NH with her husband, two daughters, rescue dogs and cat.

While in Oklahoma she was married to an undercover narcotics detective which afforded her a view of the destruction that the use of illicit drugs can have on a person, their families and support network. While taking care of women addicted to drugs, particularly methamphetamines, she witnessed and cared for many women and their pregnancies that oftentimes ended in preterm delivery or loss of the pregnancy. It was at this time that she began to recognize the toll in human life that addiction is directly responsible for. She sought out programs that recognized that addiction is a mental illness and not a moral failing and found that a comprehensive prenatal approach that incorporated addiction services created a community that supported women in their sobriety and nurtured and taught the parenting skills that we all hope to have for our children.

For several years now Colene has recognized that given the limited amount of services available to men and women with addiction in the state of New Hampshire that people have been left feeling hopeless in their ability to recover and maintain sobriety. Pregnancy in particular is a time when women become motivated to do whatever they can to become sober however the level of care that many of them need is not available to them. Many pregnant women who are actively in addiction are homeless or imminently homeless and require a residential treatment program which New Hampshire has a capacity of 7 beds and a waiting list for those beds.

Recently, Colene responded to an outcry of despair from her friend, Kerry Norton RN as Kerry tried desperately to find a suitable program for a young pregnant women who was 8 months pregnant and in active addiction. Kerry cried out on social media for someone who knew Oprah, Ellen or was rich to help her open a residential treatment program for pregnant women suffering from their addictions. Colene responded that she wasn't rich and she didn't know Oprah or Ellen but she did have a perfect home for this type of a program and that she had wanted to do just this for 2 years now.

Colene and Kerry immediately got to work and co-founded Hope On Haven Hill, a nonprofit residential treatment facility for pregnant women with substance use disorder, their children under 5 years of age and their newborns, which will be located in her home in Rochester, New Hampshire. She and her family will be moving once the doors open in the Fall of 2016. They have been working nonstop at completing the necessary paperwork, spreading the word and fundraising to be able to open as soon as possible. Colene is also the Treasurer of the Board of Directors with the Community Action Partnership of Strafford County and this has opened doors to partner with CAP to work on improving not only access to care for residential treatment of pregnant women with substance use disorder but also to help to assist women who are either placed on a waiting list or need a different level of treatment. Colene will remain as the Executive Director of Hope On Haven Hill and looks forward to when the amazing staff that has been assembled can do what they do best, support women with care and compassion.

Kerry Norton, RN

Kerry grew up in Berwick and received her Associates in Nursing and Board Licensure as a Registered Nurse in 1993. She has lived on the seacoast her entire life. She has worked with pregnant women, babies and children her entire Nursing career. In the past several years she has been impacted personally and professionally by the inability to assist her own son, friends and patients into the level of treatment that they need for Substance Use Disorders.
She was particularly impacted by her inability to assist a prenatal patient that she cared for beginning in January of 2015. When her patient was 8 months pregnant in active addiction in June of 2015 she cried out on social media for someone who might know Oprah, Ellen or someone who was rich to help her to open a residential treatment program for pregnant women suffering from their addictions. Kerry?s cry for help was answered by her Friend and Co- Founder, Colene Arnold MD. Colene responded that she wasn't rich and she didn't know Oprah or Ellen but she did have a perfect home for this type of a program and that she had wanted to do just this for 2 years now.
Kerry and Colene became tired of waiting for change so they decided to be the change that they were seeking. They immediately got to work and co-founded Hope On Haven Hill, a nonprofit residential treatment facility for pregnant women with substance use disorder, their children under 5 years of age and their newborns, which will be located in Rochester, New Hampshire.
Kerry has become an outspoken Advocate for Recovery. She believes that everyone deserves the opportunity for Treatment for Substance Use Disorder just like any other Medical Disease. She spends her free time advocating for Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services for all. She is grateful that her own son was able to initiate Recovery and that their lives were dramatically improved through that hard fought road of Recovery.
Kerry lives on the seacoast with her Husband Russ, son Elijah and Fur daughter Minnie. They have 2 Adult children Natalie and Spencer and their supportive partners who have blessed them with 3 beautiful grandchildren, Nathaniel, Gabriel and Maverick.

People in Recovery should be celebrated, assisted and supported because that is what will make this community better.

Jen Stout

Treatment Philosophy

I believe in a collaborative approach to therapy. I have training in a variety of evidence based treatment modalities, including EMDR, trauma informed care, Seeking Safety, CBT, and motivational interviewing. I believe in treating the *whole* person and may draw from a number of clinical modalities, and treat co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders concurrently. I tend to approach my work with respect, humor and a true love of what I do.

Professional Journey

I began volunteering at a needle exchange in north Philadelphia in college and have been in the substance abuse and mental health field ever since. After college, I worked at a day treatment program in Washington DC. I returned to school and received my MA in sociology, researching issues around heroin addiction and parenthood. I then switched fields to get my masters in social work, moved to the seacoast and worked in community mental health and community health for many years. Currently, I work at ROAD to a Better Life where I provide individual and group counseling for both mental health and substance use disorders, with a specific focus on working with women.

Hope on Haven Hill is a dream come true for me. For many years working in this field, I have witnessed mothers trying to hold their families together while they work to treat their substance use disorder, or families being torn apart by this disease. I have worked many hours trying to connect women with the treatment that works for them, too often failing because of the lack treatment options. I am excited for the opportunity to provide high quality and innovative treatment to pregnant and parenting women in our community and can't wait to work hard to make HHH a model of what can- and should- be!

Professional Certifications & Associations

• National Health Care for the Homeless Council
• National Association of Social Workers

Other Professional/Educational Achievements

• Presenter - National Health Care for the Homeless Annual Conference - 2014
• Presenter - NH Children's Network Conference - 2013
• Staff trainings: Trauma Informed Care - Crossroads House, Portsmouth New Hampshire
• Volunteer Work: Mindfulness and Recovery Group - Crossroads House, Portsmouth NH

Education

• Master of Social Work - Boston University
• M.A. - Sociology - University of Pennsylvania
• B.A. - Sociology - Haverford College

Meredith Hamel

John Burns

Kathie Routhier, RN

Abby Shockley, MPH, CPH, CLC

Mrs. Shockley is the Executive Director of the NH Alcohol and other Drug Service Providers Association. She holds her MPH from the University of South Florida and her BS from Boston University. Abby has a wide range of experience in the public health sector with past work as a clinical researcher, educator and program manager for healthcare quality improvement and reform policy projects in the state of Florida and New Hampshire. Her previous experience includes work with the Tampa Bay Healthcare Collaborative, Healthy Start Coalition, and the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative. While not working with the NH Providers Association, Abby serves as the Vice-President of the NH Public Health Association, Secretary for the NH Chapter of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and is a board member for the NH Council on Problem Gambling. She lives in Concord, NH with her husband, son, and their two dogs.

Sean Michael Collins

I'm a life-long NH resident and have been living in Somersworth with my wife and 5 children for 17 years. I work as a Software Principle Consultant for North America and have had the opportunity to travel to every Canadian Province, 46 US States and most Caribbean Islands. I've been employed at the same company for 12 years and have learned how to solve complicated problems with a diverse teams of people. I firmly believe that service is a responsibility and honor. After serving as a city councilor, I was recently elected to the school board and look forward to helping my community work through complex dynamics to ensure that the quality of public education is not only is protected but enhanced. I served as an advocate for Sexual Assault Support Services, helping to support survivors of assault and their families. I also currently sit on the Economic Development, Public Operations and the Vision 2020 committees in Somersworth and have a long term vision for my community that protects the quality of life for elderly people on fixed incomes, while investing in our future through development of infrastructure and more small business. When I'm not working in some respect, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I am very honored to be a part of Hope on Haven Hill. This organization is a grassroots effort to help those among us that need love and support.

Sarah Landres, Esq.

Sarah is a staff attorney with the New Hampshire Public Defender, working in the Strafford County office since 2008. She received her J.D. from William & Mary School of Law in 2008 and her B.A. from the University of Virginia in 2001. Her previous experience includes work with the Juvenile Rights Division of the Legal Aid Society of New York, Bronx Defenders, and the Federal Defender of the Eastern District of Virginia.

Sarah lives in Portsmouth with her husband, daughters, and smelly dog.

Andrea Cox CNM, RN

Kathleen E Beede

I am a NH resident since 1996 and live in Dover NH with my husband and 2 children. I work as a Doctor of Physical Therapy at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in the acute care setting and enjoy helping people get back on their feet (literally) when they are in their most vulnerable states.

When my family was touched by addiction and restored by recovery, I grew passionate to help others experience recovery. I have since become a New Futures Advocate and a Certified Recovery Coach.

There is no population more vulnerable than our women who are pregnant with substance use disorder, and I am very driven to help open the doors of Hope on Haven Hill and continue to assist the growth of recovery support services in our state.

Amy Michaels

Amy Michaels, mother of two, holds a Masters of Science in Leadership and Policy in Early Childhood Education and a teaching certificate in Child Development through the state of New Hampshire.

In 2008, Amy accepted the position of director of the Early Childhood and Teaching program at Somersworth High School and Career Technical Center. During this time she developed and taught courses in children’s literature, modern family structure, and adolescent development. When she began to see struggles with addiction in the High school students around her a flame was ignited. Amy became committed to recovery access and supports to families especially the siblings of those who suffer with a substance use disorder.

She is a certified parent educator through the nurturing parent program, a CCAR certified recovery coach, and holds certification on the Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening and Support.

Prior to her position at SHS/CTC, Amy spent 13 years in the field of child education, ranging from infant, toddler, and preschool educator to assistant director of programming.

Amy is currently focused on developing programs for various underserved populations and specializes in forming linkages with community resources and agencies.

Kimberly Vogel

I am a web developer and programmer working as E-commerce manager, currently. I came to this project from a friend's referral. I lost my brother four years ago to heroin overdose. When I met Kerry and Colene, their passion was apparent. These ladies see a need and have created an opportunity to make this happen. I'm humbled and proud to be a part of this.

Lyndi Sargent

Lyndi is a native of the NH seacoast. She comes to us with a passion for recovery work and women's health. Lyndi began her career as a counselor at an inpatient adolescent treatment center for teens dealing with addiction. She later became the Director of Strafford County As Safe Place (now HAVEN) and the founder of the non-profit Girls on the Run NH. She is currently the owner of Integrated Massage of Dover and the Resource Coordinator for Women and Children's at WDH. Aside form her professional work she is the mother of three children and considers motherhood her top priority in life. Lyndi is excited to be helping Hope on Haven Hill by organizing volunteers.

Ray Tweedie

Ray is a father of three and husband to his wife, Alissa. They live in Rye NH.
Ray has been active and volunteering for charities around the seacoast of NH since the late 90s. He has volunteered for organizations such as Pro Portsmouth, the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, the Seacoast Family Food Pantry, Haven (formerly SASS and A Safe Place), the Citizens Police Academy as well as volunteering at his kids? schools and coaching T-ball. Ray?s focus has been on helping these organizations to run successful events, fundraise, and develop the systems and processes for continued and long term success.
Ray has been in the financial services industry for more than 20 years and presently is a Senior Mortgage Originator for Mortgage Master in their downtown Portsmouth office. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, traveling, and spending with his family and their dog, Cooper.

Get Involved

We are over half way to our go fund me goal! We are so very thankful and feel so blessed to have so much support. Please continue to share this page and our mission. In truth we need much more than this and every day we don't open is a day a young woman and child has to go it alone. As we continue to advocate and raise funds we would like to continue to celebrate hope. We know recovery happens.

Grab some HOPE swag

ONWARD!!!

Thank You!!!

Your generous contribution will help to further the important work of our organization.

In Kind Donors

• Shalla Melton of Eye Sugar Photography-Photo session
• Michael Gagnon- Hope On Haven Hill Holiday Open House Tour tickets
• Dina Gagnon @ The Gathering Place, Somersworth-Meeting Space
• Murizio Paura- Acoutic Guitar at the Holiday Open House
• Dennis Margera and Shannon Breanne- catering services for HHH Holiday Open House
• Somersworth School Department- meeting space
• DLC Painting- painting services
• Web Design- Joshua Magaw and Kimberly Vogel
• Amy Michaels and her Somersworth Middle School 8th grade students Girl Empowerment Group-Hope drawings

Donors

• holiday fundraiser Sponsored by Hilltop Chevrolet 800$
• Wild Life Encounters- Two events
• Twice The Fun- Event
• Katie Berounsky of Salon Sabeha $500
• Michael and Roberta Berounsky of Ben's Auto Body $500
• Rebecca Carter and Vincent Dufort of Studio Vincca and Dover Flower Studio LLC- centerpieces, Christmas Wreath

GoFundMe Donors

ONWARD!!!

Recomended Resources

Please scroll through the listings provided for information about treatment programs in New Hampshire, legislature in progress and information about adiction and the treatment process.

New Hampshire substance abuse treatment programs

NH Alcohol and Drug Treatment Locator: nhtreatment.org

"Use this locator to find agencies and individual practitioners offering substance use disorder services, including evaluation (this is a critical first step to determine level of treatment needed), withdrawal management (detox), outpatient counseling, residential treatment, recovery supports and other types of services for people experiencing problems with alcohol and other drug use, including addiction. Some agencies provide services on a sliding fee scale based on funding they receive from the NH Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Visit nhtreatment.org's Resources page to learn about support groups such as 12 step meetings for individuals and families. Anyoneanytimenh.org has information about ways to access naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication."

SAFE HARBOR RECOVERY CENTER: safeharborrecoverynh.org

"Safe Harbor Recovery Center, Portsmouth, is a community resource which is open to all concerned with alcohol and drug addiction. It exists to foster recovery and empower individuals, families, and the greater Seacoast region of New Hampshire.
We are a peer recovery center where individuals in recovery support and inspire one another to maintain sobriety and make a positive impact on the community. Our members include anyone at any stage of recovery from drugs and/or alcohol, families and loved ones who have experienced the impact of living with addiction.
"Peers" are individuals who have experienced addiction and recovery, either directly or as family or friends of those in recovery."

Strafford Outreach Solutions: Facebook Page
or
straffordrecovery.org

"The mission of Strafford Outreach Solutions is to reduce stigma and harm associated with addiction by providing safe space and peer-based recovery supports for people in all stages of recovery. We are a community of people in recovery and allies supporting all pathways to recovery for all Strafford County residents."

New Hampshire Legislature and Activisim

Office of the Governor, Maggie Hassan: nh.org

"CONCORD - Governor Maggie Hassan issued the following statement on the Senate's vote today (January 2016) to pass a package of expedited bills to combat the heroin and opioid crisis:
The heroin and opioid crisis remains the most pressing public health and public safety issue facing our state, and the need for ongoing action remains urgent. These bills are an important step forward that will give patients, providers, parents and law enforcement better tools in the fight against heroin and opioid abuse, and I applaud the full Senate for their strong bipartisan support of these measures. There remains broad, bipartisan support for several other measures considered by the legislature's task force over the past couple of months, as well as bipartisan recognition that reauthorization of the New Hampshire Health Care Protection Program is critical to expanding treatment capacity. I will continue to focus on working with members of both parties to strengthen our efforts to combat this horrible epidemic."

ONE Voice for Strafford County: onevoicenh.org

"Our common purpose is to help prevent underage drinking and substance abuse through education, community mobilization and support of both teenagers and parents. Today, we are proud to say that our regional coalition is engaged in 17 partnerships that focus on enforcement, youth empowerment, prevention training, family outreach and community development."

Goodwin Community Health, Somersworth: goodwinch.org

"Goodwin Community Health is the only FQHC (Federally Qualified Health Center) in the Strafford County area to provide access to primary, dental, prenatal, and behavioral health care as well as community wellness and public health services. The Behavioral Health Program at Goodwin Community Health is integrated with our Primary Care Department."

OTHER RESOURCES

Community Action Partnership of Strafford County: Facebook
or
www.straffordcap.org

"Community Action Partnership of Strafford County is a private nonprofit founded in 1965 with a mission to educate, advocate for and assist low-income people in Strafford County, NH to meet their basic needs and achieve or maintain self-sufficiency."