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Community Forum Scheduled for Thursday, July 27th

Public meeting to be held at the Hampstead Public Library and virtually
Posted on: July 25, 2023 - 4:28pm

On Thursday, July 27th, 2023, there will be a community forum on the new Youth Development Center to be built on the campus of Hampstead Hospital. The event will be held at the Hampstead Public Library on Mary E. Clark Drive at 6 pm. Community members may attend in person or virtually.   

In May of 2022 the State of New Hampshire purchased Hampstead Hospital, located at 218 East Road and continues to run the youth psychiatric treatment program. In addition, one unit has been repurposed to serve as the state’s first level 5 psychiatric residential treatment facility. With the planned closing of the Sununu Youth Services Center in Manchester, a study of potential sites identified the Hampstead Hospital property as a viable choice for a new Youth Development Center (YDC) as well. The new center will be a secure residential treatment facility for New Hampshire’s detained and committed youth, ages 13-17. It is targeted to open in Fall of 2025.

The community forum will be a chance for members of the Hampstead and adjacent communities to learn about the proposed facility from the architectural firm and liaisons from the NH Department of Health and Human Services, the Division of Children, Youth and Families and the Director of the YDC. This is an opportunity to ask questions and discuss concerns about the evolving programming at the site and the impact on town services and the community at large. 

Registration is only necessary for those wishing to attend virtually. Registration link: https://hampsteadlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/community-forum/ 

Residents who attend virtually may submit questions via the chat function. A recording of the event will be available via the Hampstead Cable channel. If you are unable to attend this event, additional forums are planned in the coming months. 

For additional information on the event, please contact Hampstead Select Board Chair Laurie Warnock at Lwarnock@Hampsteadnh.us or Sen. Regina Birdsell at Regina.Birdsell@leg.state.nh.us.