For Immediate Release | December 8, 2025
Contact: Jim Monahan: [email protected] / (603) 496-2827
Manchester, NH — Against the backdrop of the New Hampshire Behavioral Health Summit, a new entity dedicated to supporting organizations working in the substance use disorder (SUD) and other addiction-services community announced its formation. The Addiction Supports and Advocacy Professional (ASAP) Alliance will serve as a non-profit trade association for this critical component of New Hampshire’s health care system.
Traci Fowler, Initiative Leader for Behavioral Health at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and a member of the Governor’s Commission on Addiction, Treatment, and Prevention, emphasized the need for continued progress. “While we know that New Hampshire has made meaningful strides in addressing substance use disorders, we continue to face real challenges,” she said. “Having a strong professional organization will help elevate critical policy issues and recognize the professionalism of those who work in this field.”
Jo Porter, who served as a consultant with Helms and Company, working closely with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation to develop the ASAP Alliance, noted the rapid growth of the SUD care provider industry. “Largely due to the opioid crisis and the public policy response, New Hampshire has seen the substance use disorder care sector grow dramatically—and it’s making a real difference in addressing the needs of people dealing with addiction,” Porter said. “As the sector has expanded, more professional support, advocacy, and technical assistance is needed to strengthen and sustain the professionals and organizations working in this arena.” Porter added that the “ASAP” brand reflects the urgency with which these issues must be addressed.
Porter highlighted the state’s progress over the past decade. “New Hampshire has made significant investments, with both state and federal dollars, to create a stronger, more mature delivery system. The ASAP Alliance will work with the professionals and organizations that form the foundation of this system, bringing a focused voice to the sector and advancing a shared mission.”
She also pointed to emerging challenges that underscore the need for the ASAP Alliance’s work. “While we have created a much stronger system of care in New Hampshire, significant issues are at our doorstep,” Porter said. “Recent rollbacks of the Alcohol Fund, emerging Medicaid changes that may make it more difficult to access addiction services, softening federal aid programs, rising commercial insurance costs, and potential increases in gambling-related addiction issues are among the topics that ASAP will be addressing in the months and years ahead.”
The ASAP Alliance is currently in its organizational phase and will be established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The effort is supported by Helms & Company, a Concord-based healthcare consulting firm, and The Dupont Group, a government affairs firm with extensive healthcare and Medicaid expertise.
About ASAP Alliance:
ASAP Alliance serves organizations dedicated to advancing the interests of addiction service providers through advocacy, awareness building, representation, and technical assistance across an array of issues and needs.
Website: https://asapalliancenh.org/