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Whole Child Health and Wellness Collaborative

NHAN will launch a pilot of OST CARES in fall 2026, informed by a model from Texas, to strengthen substance use prevention, early intervention, and mental health support within out-of-school time (OST) programs across New Hampshire. This pilot will focus on building the capacity of OST staff and programs to better support youth and families during out-of-school hours, while testing a coordinated approach to prevention and wellness in community-based settings.

 

OST CARES aims to strengthen coordination among OST programs and partners by integrating prevention-focused practices into existing program structures. This includes targeted professional development in trauma-informed care, mental health awareness, and substance use prevention; strengthening communication across programs and partners; and developing simple, actionable referral pathways that connect youth and families to prevention, behavioral health, and recovery supports. This work will position OST programs as trusted, low-barrier environments for prevention and early support.

 

Building from this pilot, NHAN will convene partners through a Whole Child Health and Wellness Collaborative to support alignment and shared learning across sectors. The Collaborative will focus on:

  • Building workforce capacity by supporting OST professionals through coordinated training, technical assistance, and shared resources related to prevention, mental health, and youth development;

  • Strengthening connections across systems by linking OST programs with schools, community-based organizations, and prevention, behavioral health, and recovery partners to improve access to supports for youth and families;

  • Leveraging and aligning resources to expand access to funding and supports that sustain high-quality, prevention-focused OST programming;

  • Informing future systems-building efforts by using lessons learned from the OST CARES pilot to guide scalable, statewide strategies.

 

Organizations invited to participate in the Collaborative will engage in a series of structured but practical opportunities, including collaborative meetings, targeted workgroups, and light-touch coordination efforts. Participation will be designed to complement existing work, allowing partners to contribute their expertise, strengthen connections to OST programs, and support shared prevention goals while continuing their individual organizational efforts.

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Reach out to Network Lead, Sonjia Tainter at stainter@seresc.net if your organization is interested in being a part of the Whole Child Health and Wellness Collaborative.

Whole Child Health and Wellness Collaborative Guidelines

Overview

The Whole Child Health and Wellness Collaborative aims to strengthen the health, well-being, and resilience of youth across New Hampshire by aligning systems, sharing data and resources, and advancing collective, prevention-focused strategies that support mental health, substance use prevention, and family stability, while enhancing protective factors such as positive relationships, youth engagement, and connectedness through out-of-school time and community-based settings.​

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Program Eligibility

Invited nonprofit organizations, intermediaries, and community-based partners across New Hampshire that support out-of-school time (OST) programs and youth-serving systems at the state, regional, or local level are eligible to participate. This includes organizations focused on prevention, mental health, family support, and youth development that are interested in strengthening connections to OST programs and expanding access to supports for youth and families..​

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Participation Requirements

Participating organizations will designate a representative who will:

  • Attend and actively engage in quarterly virtual Collaborative meetings (approximately 90 minutes each), focused on advancing prevention, early intervention, and youth wellness strategies across out-of-school time and community systems.

  • Participate in an annual in-person convening aligned with the statewide Lights On Afterschool initiative, which will serve as a key opportunity to highlight out-of-school time as a protective factor, elevate youth and community voice, and strengthen cross-sector partnerships focused on prevention and wellness.

  • Partner with an Out-of-School Time program for Light's On to support family engagement opportunities

  • Engage in optional workgroups or focused discussions, as needed, to advance specific priority areas such as substance use prevention, mental health support, and family engagement.

  • Contribute to shared learning through periodic feedback, updates, and light-touch evaluation efforts to support continuous improvement and demonstrate impact aligned with prevention goals.

  • Support the advancement of Collaborative goals by strengthening connections between their organization and out-of-school time programs, helping to increase access to supports, resources, and services for youth and families.

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Program Data Collection and Reporting

Participating organizations will agree to contribute to shared learning and evaluation efforts by providing relevant data and feedback to demonstrate impact, inform continuous improvement, and support the sustainability of the Collaborative. This may include:

  • Completion of brief participant and/or Collaborative surveys (e.g., post-meeting feedback) by organizational representatives;

  • Participation in occasional interviews or check-ins to assess progress, identify challenges, and capture lessons learned related to both organizational efforts and Collaborative activities;

  • Contribution to a brief annual summary or reflection highlighting the impact of organizational and Collaborative work;

  • Responding to periodic requests for updates or informal progress reporting to help track outcomes and guide next steps.

Note: Any data sharing needed to support specific Collaborative strategies or initiatives will be developed and agreed upon separately, as appropriate.​​​​

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