The Good Samaritan Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating recovery friendly communities. We recognize that building stronger communities must encompass the continuum of care which includes Prevention, Intervention/Treatment, Recovery, After-Care and Family Care. We seek to equip and activate the community across this continuum through education, prevention and funding.
About
Areas of Focus
Education
Creating Recovery Friendly Communities begins with education. Understanding the science of addiction, pathways to recovery, enabling vs helping, and reducing stigma are crucial first steps in equipping communities to respond with informed solutions.
GSN will be offering educational programming on these topics and others in order to better activate our communities across the continuum of care for addiction. Read more here.
Prevention
The best way to reduce the “addiction crisis” is to reach individuals before they develop a Substance Use Disorder(SUD). Certain children are at higher risk for SUD because of factors like genetics, trauma, access to substances and age of first use. Studies show that one of the strongest protective factors is having one caring adult in their life, such as a mentor.
GSN has partnered with the Good Life Prevention Program, a mentor-led program focused on helping every student prepare for life. Read more here.
Funding
GSN recognizes that funding challenges can hinder many nonprofits from having their desired level of impact. With SUD numbers on the rise, our communities have growing needs for more recovery supports.
Out of a desire to increase the impact of organizations working across the continuum of care, GSN has decided to dedicate 10% of our annual budget to a grants program. Our hope is that increased financial resources offered through our grant program will help more people along their recovery journey. Read more here.
Our
Story
The Beginnings
The Good Samaritan Network was originally formed in the fall of 2018 in response to Governor Sununu asking the churches to get more involved in the addiction crisis. Initially, GSN was formed under the religious nonprofit The New Hampshire Alliance, with the mission to equip and activate the church across the continuum of care for addiction. GSN's focus at the time was building teams in churches in 10 regions of New Hampshire.
A New Direction
In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic changed the landscape for substance use disorder (SUD). The lockdowns and increased anxiety led to higher SUD numbers and fewer available resources. This combination led to an increased need in our community to create recovery friendly environments. It was at this point that GSN decided they wanted to do more. In order to have an increased impact, it was time to become an independent nonprofit.
In June 2021, the NHA Board voted unanimously that GSN should separate from NHA and become its own nonprofit. GSN officially became a nonprofit in the fall of 2021 and decided to file as a non-religious organization with an expanded mission focus to equip the community, not just the church.
The original vision to equip churches will always be fulfilled through the Recovery Friendly Congregation Program. With the expanded mission, GSN can also offer programming designed for the schools, businesses and more.