DHHS Press Release – October 6, 2025
Public Information Office
(603) 271-9389 | pio@dhhs.nh.gov
Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has released the DHHS Roadmap 2025-2027 to highlight priorities during the current biennium. The Roadmap 2025-27 builds on the success of the two previous DHHS Roadmaps while strengthening the Department’s efforts to navigate a changing landscape in health and human service delivery.
“The DHHS Roadmap 2025-27 evolves, expands and streamlines our focus on the key issues that are most critical to our clients, community partners and employees,” said DHHS Commissioner Lori Weaver. “Despite the challenges that lie ahead, this Roadmap represents the Department’s continued commitment to improving the health of those we serve and working with our provider and community partners to advance our common goals and priorities.”
“From strengthening our mental health system, to fighting substance use disorders, to caring for Granite Staters with developmental disabilities, we have an unbreakable commitment to protect our most vulnerable citizens,” said Governor Kelly Ayotte. “This Roadmap ensures we preserve those critical programs and services, and it also prioritizes careful management of state resources. Working together, we will make our state more efficient and effective to deliver a healthier future for all of New Hampshire.”
The DHHS Roadmap 2025-27 continues the three major commitments launched in the DHHS Roadmap 2024-25: Invest in People and Culture, Promote Thriving Communities, and Improve Customer Service. Commitment initiatives include:
Investing in training and retention efforts among the DHHS workforce and process improvements to better serve Granite Staters;
Expanding Mission Zero to include a focus on youth and the behavioral health workforce;
Increasing access to child care for families across New Hampshire;
Implementing the Community Reentry program in New Hampshire’s 10 county corrections facilities;
Increasing access for community-based long-term supports and services for adults that are aging;
Engaging with developmental disability stakeholders to continue to strengthen the developmental disability service delivery system; and
Launching an effort to transform rural healthcare delivery throughout the State.
To read the DHHS Roadmap 2025-27, please visit: https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt476/files/documents2/dhhs-roadmap-2025-2027.pdf .pdf Icon
Stakeholder quotes about the DHHS Roadmap 2025-27:
“NAMI New Hampshire is encouraged by the sustained comprehensive focus on mental health in the NH DHHS Roadmap 2025-2027. We welcome the continued partnership in advancing and expanding Mission Zero to include pediatric patients, reinvigorating the 10-Year Mental Health Plan, and working to collectively prioritize mental health and suicide prevention in the Granite State.”
-Susan Stearns, Executive Director, NAMI NH
“As a close partner with DHHS, the Foundation for Healthy Communities enthusiastically supports the 2025 Roadmap and the positive impact it will have on people across New Hampshire. The thoughtful approach outlined in the Roadmap demonstrates the collective commitment between DHHS and community partners working together to improve health for all people in every community in our state.”
-Peter Ames, Executive Director, Foundation for Healthy Communities
“The New Hampshire State Commission on Aging is in full support of the efforts and priorities outlined in the 2025-2027 DHHS Roadmap. These initiatives and goals will improve access to care, promote independence, and strengthen home-based care options for older adults in the state. This plan reflects the shared values of an aging population and promotes independence, wellness and care. We look forward to partnering with DHHS to ensure that everyone in New Hampshire has the opportunity to age well.”
-Lily Wellington, Executive Director, State Commission on Aging
“As a stakeholder representing our unionized workers, I can truly say that the agency’s willingness to meet and collaborate on issues has built a foundation of open communication. We are encouraged by the 2025 Roadmap’s focus on improving access to critical health and human services. By setting clear priorities and timelines, it provides a strong foundation for collective action and progress, as we saw last year when twenty DHHS positions were saved due to their strategic quick thinking. The plan goals align with the work of many partners across the state, and together we can make meaningful strides toward improving the well-being of Granite Staters.’
-Richard Gulla, President, State Employees Association
“New Futures strongly supports the 2025-2027 DHHS Roadmap, which advances health and wellness across the lifespan by centering those most in need. Its emphasis on prevention, expanding access, and coordinated systems of care reflects our mission to advance evidence-based policy and empower communities so all Granite Staters have the opportunity to thrive.”
-Michele D. Merritt, President, New Futures
“The Bureau of Family Assistance Long Term Care District Office is excited to collaborate on the Roadmap to remove barriers and make Long Term Care eligibility more accessible and less overwhelming for our clients and community. By working closely with our partners and listening to those we serve, we’re building a more transparent, compassionate and streamlined process. We want to ensure our clients and community receive the support they need with dignity, clarity and compassion, allowing them to focus on what matters most: their well-being and peace of mind.”
-Nichole Mooney, DHHS Division of Long Term Supports and Services
“The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation has been proud to partner with the Department of Health and Human Services over many years. Many of the priorities articulated here are in clear alignment with the priorities that we focus on at the Foundation to help make New Hampshire a community where everyone can thrive. We are pleased in particular that this road map, for the first time, highlights the importance of early childhood education and care for New Hampshire.”
-Richard Ober, President and CEO, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
“Our NH DHHS partners continue to elevate the importance of prioritizing maternal child health in our state. Their ‘Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies’ initiative guides and reinforces our work at the NH Perinatal Quality Collaborative to expand access and improve quality across maternal mental health, breastfeeding, WIC and Medicaid coverage. We continue to appreciate the state’s leadership and commitment to collaborating with partners and communities in our state to create a system that meets the needs of all.”
-Julie Bosak, Director, Population Health, Northern New England Perinatal Quality Improvement Network
“By prioritizing prevention, early childhood education, healthy aging, and community-based supports, the DHHS roadmap helps ensure individuals and families receive the right care at the right time throughout every stage of life. Together, we are building a healthier, more responsive system that keeps individuals, children, and families in their communities and empowers every child and family to thrive. We are eager to partner with the Department on the bold and necessary steps outlined in this forward-thinking plan.”
-Borja Alvarez de Toledo, President and CEO, Waypoint
“The NH DHHS Roadmap 2025–2027 takes the comprehensive, systems-level view New Hampshire needs by investing in people and culture, strengthening community-based services across the lifespan, and ensuring support for services across the lifespan. By aligning prevention and behavioral health initiatives with streamlined long-term care eligibility and smarter, shared data tools, the 2025-2027 plan transforms ambitious goals into continuous progress, enabling providers to focus on delivering the best care possible and allowing Granite Staters to receive the right support at the right time. The real beauty of this plan is that it recognizes how connected we all are, and that our individual contributions lead to collective success. NFI North is proud to partner with DHHS to bring this vision to life.”
-Luke Reynard, PhD, Executive Director, NFI North
“The 2025 DHHS Roadmap is a practical plan for the future of New Hampshire. For Manchester, it means stronger connections to care, greater support for families, and renewed focus on the people who make our community strong. I am grateful for the Department’s commitment and look forward to working together to turn these goals into results.”
-Jay Ruais, Mayor, City of Manchester
“DHHS’ inclusion of child care in the 2025 Roadmap is a pivotal step to ensuring access to affordable, high-quality early care and education. This recognition of early learning as a key strategy to improve child outcomes, promote family well-being, strengthen the workforce, and achieve long-term economic prosperity directly reflects the Couch Family Foundation’s mission, and we are inspired by this commitment.”
-Sarah Vecchiotti, Executive Director, Couch Foundation
“The New Hampshire Health Care Association is very pleased with the commitment by DHHS to better facilitate the Medicaid application process for long-term care, which can be daunting for so many seniors in our aging state, and looks forward to continuing its provider partnership in this effort.”
-Brendan Williams, President and CEO, New Hampshire Health Care Association