Friends of NH Drug Courts

12/08/2025

🎓 Last week, we celebrated eight inspiring graduates at Hillsborough County Superior Court South Adult Drug Court in Nashua. Congratulations to Whitney, Dustin, Fallon, Michael, Justin, Nickolas, Manuel, and Richard! 🎉

Half of these hard-working graduates received our grants to help remove critical barriers on their path to recovery. Your donations helped them access things like a crib and car seat, dental care, sober housing rent, a car repair, clothing, utilities, clothing, facial tattoo removal, and more.

Every grant helps recovery court participants build fresh starts for themselves and their families and safer communities for all through employment, stable housing, and recovery.

Your donation funds the essentials that treatment courts can't, but recovery court participants (like those standing in the last image) desperately need.

👉 Donate today at friendsofnhdrugcourts.org/donate

12/03/2025

Thanks for giving!

Because of supporters like you, treatment court participants across New Hampshire have access to the resources they need to succeed in recovery and rebuild their lives.

Drug courts work. They combine evidence-based treatment with comprehensive support to lead people with substance use disorders out of the justice system and into lives of health and recovery.

If you missed Giving Tuesday, it's not too late to make a difference. Your gift (of any amount!) directly funds housing, transportation, health care, education, and other critical needs for participants working toward lasting recovery.

Every donation transforms lives.

Donate: friendsofnhdrugcourts.org/donate

12/02/2025

Together we give. Together we transform lives.

This Giving Tuesday, your support removes the financial barriers that can stand between a treatment court participant and lasting recovery:

A security deposit on an apartment.
Car repairs to get to work.
Dental care for a job interview.
Child care while attending counseling.

These essentials can make all the difference.

Treatment courts offer more than an alternative to incarceration. They provide a pathway to family reunification and breaking cycles of addiction. With intensive judicial supervision, evidence-based treatment, and wraparound services, participants reclaim their lives and rebuild their families.

Your generosity funds the critical needs that help ensure success. Be part of someone's second chance.

12/02/2025

This Giving Tuesday, December 2, please join us in supporting Granite State neighbors on their journey to recovery.

Donate today: friendsofnhdrugcourts.org/donate

Your donation helps treatment court participants access essential resources such as housing, transportation, health care, job training, and more. These aren't extras — they're the building blocks of lasting recovery and family reunification.

Drug courts provide a proven alternative to incarceration, combining evidence-based treatment with comprehensive support services. They help parents reunite with their children, break generational cycles of addiction, and address the underlying trauma that affects entire families.

In 2024 alone, we awarded 297 grants totaling nearly $141,000 to help 189 individuals and their families rebuild their lives. Since 2015, we've distributed over $400,000 in assistance to treatment court participants across New Hampshire.

Drug courts work. They transform lives. And your gift makes it possible.

Donate today: friendsofnhdrugcourts.org/donate

11/05/2025

This thank you note from a participant in the Hillsborough North Recovery Court in Manchester says it all.

Over 16 months in recovery. A father to a toddler son. Help with vehicle expenses to get to work and clothing for him and his child. A path forward.

He writes: "Through my journey you guys have helped me purchase a vehicle so I can get to all the things I have to — including work! ...with folks like you it really makes a world of a difference. I cannot thank you enough for reaching a hand out to people in need. It is a reminder that in my recovery I need to also lend hand when I can."

When financial barriers like the price of transportation, housing, or job training stand in the way of recovery and healing, your support makes the difference.

Help us continue this work: friendsofnhdrugcourts.org/donate

11/04/2025

Seamus Batdorf-Dwyer, a recovery coach with Cheshire County Treatment Court, has been selected for Leadership Monadnock 2026. As someone in long-term recovery himself, Seamus represents the power of peer recovery support.

Peer recovery coaches are game-changers in treatment courts. They bring lived experience, authentic hope, and the kind of credibility that can only come from someone who's walked the same path.

Congratulations, Seamus! Your leadership is making a difference in countless lives.

We are thrilled to announce the Leadership Monadnock Class of 2026. For the next nine months, these individuals will devote one day each month to immersive learning, civic engagement, and community-building that connects and empowers changemakers across the Monadnock Region.

This year’s class includes professionals from a wide spectrum of industries, each committed to fostering community engagement, inclusive leadership, and creating lasting impact within their communities across the Monadnock Region:

Deb LeClair, Principal/Owner for Re-Sourced in Jaffrey and Bedford, NH

Erin Beaudry, Individual Giving Officer for Kurn Hattin Home and School for Children in Westminster, VT

Gabrie Libby, Project Manager, National Project Management Office for C&S Wholesale Grocers in Keene

Gina De Santis, Executive Director for Stonewall Farm in Keene

Greg Seymour, Deputy Chief of Fire Department Operations for City of Keene in Keene

Heather Scheck, Assistant Vice President, Branch & Business Development Manager for Savings Bank of Walpole in Keene

Heidi Schwieger, Director of Development for MoCo Arts in Keene

Jess Barbarow, Director of Critical Care and Emergency Services for Cheshire Medical Center in Keene

Jessie Carpenter, Agent, Realtor for Keller Williams Metropolitan Keene in Keene

Jocelyn Goldblatt, Executive Director for Cheshire Children's Museum in Keene

Joe Axne, Manager Regional Operations, Western Region for Eversource NH in Keene

Judy Hoffman, Supervisor of the Keene Academic Center for River Valley Community College in Keene

Kate Blaha, Marketing, Culture & Events Specialist for The Richards Group in Keene

Max Beebe, Owner for O'Mega Images LLC in Keene and Development Liaison for Hinsdale Economic Development Corporation in Hinsdale

Michelle Walker, Director of Education for Historical Society of Cheshire County of Cheshire County in Keene

Miranda Stevens, Branch Supervisor for Service Credit Union in Hinsdale

Paul Andrus, Director of Community Development for City of Keene in Keene

Peter Carvell, Senior Vice President & Commercial Loan Officer for Savings Bank of Walpole in Keene

Sara Lang, Senior Philanthropy Advisor for New Hampshire Charitable Foundation in the Monadnock and Upper Valley Regions

Sara Powell, Program Director for The Hannah Grimes Center in Keene

Sarah Croteau, Agency Fiscal Director for Southwestern Community Services in Keene

Sareen Sarna, Director of Philanthropy and Growth for Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services in Keene and Peterborough

Scott Arlen, Maintenance Supervisor for Keene Housing in Keene

Scott Brown, Branch Manager III Officer for Mascoma Bank in Keene

Scott Symonds, Chief Executive Officer for SMART Ride LLC in Keene and Peterborough

Scout Mercer, Youth Services Librarian II for Keene Public Library in Keene

Seamus Batdorf-Dwyer, Treatment Courts Certified Recovery Support Worker for County of Cheshire, NH Treatment Court in Keene

Shane Moynihan, Realtor for Shane Moynihan Realty LLC (Realty One Group Next Level) in Keene

Stephanie Latini, Internship and Business Outreach Manager for Monadnock United Way in Keene

Sudesh Joshi-Chhibbar, Director of Surgical Services for Monadnock Community Hospital in Peterborough

“We are excited for these community leaders to meet, get to know each other, learn together, and to collaborate in a variety of meaningful ways going forward. Their energy, commitment, and innovation are exactly what our communities need as we work toward an even stronger future for the Monadnock Region,” said Michelle DellaVita, Director of Development & Community Engagement for Greater Monadnock Collaborative. “We are grateful to each of the organizations investing in their employees’ active participation, the local experts serving as session presenters, as well as to our sponsors: Cheshire County, Eversource, Freitag Marketing, Keene Young Professionals Network, Mascoma Bank, Monadnock Ford, and Savings Bank of Walpole.”

Throughout the program year, participants will engage in experiential learning, collaborative conversations, engaging presentations, and deep dives into critical topics such as economic development, community building, government, mental health, and education.

The Leadership Monadnock network includes over 450 graduates, many of whom have gone on to take on influential roles in municipalities, nonprofits, education, and business—amplifying the ripple effect of this transformative program.

About Leadership Monadnock

Leadership Monadnock is an intensive nine-month community leadership program, held one day a month, October through June. Each session is designed to immerse participants in the truly critical aspects that drive the dynamic nature of the regional economy and quality of life. Each session is structured to present multiple aspects of a topic through a combination of presentations by experienced professionals and subject matter experts, group discussions, and other experiences. Participants have access to other community leaders who are experts in their respective fields including business, government, education, nonprofits, social services, the arts, and other organizations throughout the region.

For more information about Leadership Monadnock, the Leadership Monadnock Alumni Network, or to sign up to receive notifications on how to apply for the next cohort, visit greatermonadnock.com/leadership-monadnock or contact Michelle DellaVita at michelle@greatermonadnock.com. Sponsorship opportunities are still available!

11/03/2025

When recovery courts work, families heal. 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

Sullivan County New Hampshire Government's Family Treatment Court, part of the New Hampshire Judicial Branch, shows what's possible when parents struggling with substance use disorder get intensive, early intervention.

Research shows that families participating in programs like these are *twice as likely to reunify* as those receiving conventional child welfare services.

We support participants across NH's treatment courts by funding the essentials that make recovery possible: housing, transportation, health care, job interview attire, and more.

Grants from FNHDC help parents take steps toward reunification and healing.

Learn more about this groundbreaking approach from the New Hampshire Bar Association ⬇️

By Tom Jarvis The New Hampshire Judicial Branch’s (NHJB) Family Treatment Court (FTC) in Sullivan County, launched in 2021, is the first of its kind in New Hampshire. It provides early intervention for families involved in abuse and neglect cases where substance use disorder impacts one or more pa...

10/30/2025

Our friends at Greater Nashua Mental Health are looking for a therapist to work with participants in the groundbreaking and nationally-recognized Hillsborough County South Adult Drug Court.

Check it out at https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/3673053

or gnmhc.org/careers

Join the Greater Nashua Mental Health Center staff. Browse available positions and apply online today.

10/17/2025

October is National Substance Use & Misuse Prevention Month! Make your prevention month gift today at FriendsofNHdrugcourts.org/donate

Real prevention is more than stopping substance use before it starts—it's also preventing recurrence, protecting children from trauma, and breaking generational cycles of addiction and incarceration.

That's where recovery courts come in. And that's where YOU come in.

When you support the Friends of NH Drug Courts, you're investing in prevention that works.

Make a gift today at FriendsofNHdrugcourts.org/donate

Your gift helps drug court participants here in New Hampshire access housing, transportation, dental care, and other essentials that make lasting recovery possible. Last year alone, we helped 189 individuals take steps toward healthier futures.

10/03/2025

On the brink of graduating from Cheshire County Treatment Court, Brian Champion was tasked with designing and enacting a community-service project. With support from the treatment court, the county’s restorative justice team and the city’s parks and recreation department, he decided to take the opportunity to start a cleanup effort at the city’s parks.

Congratulations to Brian on a successful project and the completion of treatment court!

Brian Champion and other volunteers are cleaning Keene, NH parks in a project that's part of Cheshire County treatment court.

09/25/2025

Thank you to Guys Who Give a $hit - NH for hosting us at your meeting last night, where Board Members Tony Naro and Randall Francis spoke about our work providing microgrants to participants in New Hampshire's recovery court programs.

If you'd like to learn more about FNHDC or make a donation, please visit us online at friendsofnhdrugcourts.org.

09/02/2025

Please join us in welcoming three outstanding new members of our Board of Directors! We are so grateful for the incredible depth of lived experience and passion they bring!

Mark Bodanza brings over 23 years in law enforcement and nearly 20 years in ministry, currently serving as a senior pastor and a spiritual care counselor. His unique perspective bridges public safety and compassionate care.

Randall Francis is a treatment court graduate who transformed his life through the program. After struggling with substance use disorder and multiple attempts at recovery, he found found success through the intensive, long-term support model of drug court.

Priscilla Matos is a Certified Recovery Support Worker and Peer Specialist at Revive Recovery Resource Center, and is also a drug court graduate herself. She brings firsthand understanding of the recovery journey.

We're excited to see what we'll accomplish together!