New Residential Housing: Home Is Where the Help Is

Riverbend Community Mental Health Offers New Community Housing Option for Select Adults In Need

A new 12-bed housing facility in Concord will offer housing and onsite care for adults with Severe Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI). This latest residential facility from Riverbend Community Mental Health will open by the end of 2024, helping to serve a critical community need for housing.

278 Pleasant Street in Concord will be the location of the new residential facility – a historic property that is close to Concord Hospital and surrounded by peaceful forest. Riverbend Community Mental Health’s administrative office functions and a majority of the senior leadership team were formerly located at the property; those functions, leaders and some additional staff are now together in downtown offices at 29 School Street.

“Amidst a challenging housing market in our state, it has been very difficult to find properties that can meet the needs of adults with the dual challenges of mental health and physical limitations,” said Lisa K. Madden, president & CEO of Riverbend Community Mental Health. “When we at Riverbend made the strategic decision to vacate this location for our downtown office space, it was never a question for us that we would seek to maximize the 278 property and find a way to further serve the needs of those living with mental health challenges.”

The residence will be a 12-bed, licensed facility with 24/7 staffing, nursing support, laundry, meal planning, medication monitoring and daily activities. Eligible residents will be individuals with Severe Persistent Mental Illnesses (SPMI), with high mental health treatment needs and possibly with ambulatory issues. The home will allow Riverbend’s ever-growing, aging population of clients to access community-based treatment — and for those with mobility issues – have access to single-floor living, which can be difficult to find in the wider community. A select number of current Riverbend clients with mobility needs, who are already part of Riverbend’s residential system, will transfer to the new property at 278 Pleasant Street.

“This residence will be providing the highest level of care available within the wider Riverbend Residential Program for the aging SPMI population,” said Tracy (Moran) Byers, director of residential services at Riverbend. “Similar to our other three residential facilities, we want residents to feel comfortable and safe, with a sense of community and with the clinical care and support onsite that meets their specific needs.” Currently, Riverbend manages three additional residential facilities that provide safe, affordable supported housing to clients with varied care needs: Fayette House, Twitchell House and Mill House.

The State of New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services generously provided Riverbend with a grant to convert the building from an office use property to a residential property. The grant funding also allowed Riverbend to purchase a van to transport residents in the community — an essential need to take clients to appointments, and for personal errands or shopping.

“One of the most significant challenges facing people living with mental illness is in securing safe, appropriate, stable housing,” said DHHS Commissioner Lori Weaver. “Riverbend’s focus on creating housing opportunities is setting a standard for the rest of the state. As DHHS continues to work with our stakeholder partners to address Emergency Department boarding, it is encouraging to see this investment in community-based supports that meet the needs of the people we collectively serve. We extend our gratitude to the team at Riverbend for their tireless efforts to turn their idea into a reality.”

Local contractor JH Spain, who has performed many quality building transformation projects for Riverbend over the years, did the build out on this project, with work now complete. In the lead-up to the opening date, Riverbend is also hiring direct support staff to provide onsite care and assistance for residents.

This residential project at 278 Pleasant Street dovetails with Riverbend’s recent sale of 3 North State Street in Concord. Riverbend sold what is commonly referred to as “The Monitor building” and its accompanying parking lot to a private buyer; the deal was finalized on July 19, 2024.

That buyer is now converting the space to a 12-bed facility that will provide supportive housing for adults with disabilities in the greater Concord community. Riverbend specifically sought out a buyer who would repurpose the Monitor building to serve the ongoing community need for housing for vulnerable populations.

FOR MEDIA:

Riverbend will host an Open House at the new residential property on Tuesday, November 12, for local dignitaries, state officials, key stakeholders and invited members of the public. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and will include remarks from Riverbend’s president & CEO Lisa K. Madden and state officials, tours of the new facilities, and light refreshments. If you are a member of the media and would like to attend, please RSVP to: [email protected]

 

NOTE:

• For inquiries regarding eligibility for admission to residential property at 278 Pleasant Street, please contact Tracy Byers, Riverbend’s director of residential services, at [email protected].

 

• For information on philanthropic naming opportunities or donations to the new residential facility, contact Brenda Aziz, Riverbend’s director of development at [email protected].

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Celebrating 60 years of hope and healing, Riverbend Community Mental Health is a private non-profit and one of the largest providers of specialized behavioral health services for children, adults, and their families in central New Hampshire. Nearly 8,000 children, families and adults are served annually. Core services include 24/7 emergency services; counseling services; comprehensive community and school-based services for children; addiction recovery services; and community support, vocational services, and residential programs for adults and seniors. For more information, visit www.riverbendcmhc.org, or follow @RiverbendCMHC on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.