Since becoming president of The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester (MHCGM) in 2015, Bill Rider has led a number of initiatives that have strengthened the Center’s programs and workforce, increased its prominence as a research facility and expanded relationships with the business community.

Even more impressive, all of this has been accomplished as MHCGM faced enormous challenges such as our state’s health care provider shortage, reduced state funding for mental health programming, the opioid crisis and legislative barriers. Rider not only takes on the current challenges but continues to strive to create the best environment and care and treatment programs on behalf of the individuals served annually by The Mental Health Center.

A few things have changed in the last few years at the Mental Health Center including the purchase of a new building which has helped to expand services to a central downtown location while also implementing a 25% increase in the workforce despite professional healthcare shortages. Rider also worked with legislators to allow Community Mental Health Centers the ability to utilize Telepsychaitry, whereby expanding services to individuals in need while also alleviating current workforce challenges. Because of his efforts, Senate Bill 237-FN was signed into law with bipartisan support on May 10th, 2017.

The Mental Health Center recently implemented the addition of a new Evidence Based Practice for treating children ages 6-17 and thanks to Bill’s leadership the Center is also home to a new 23 person Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) which helps de-escalate more than 100 community crisis situations each month, with a 97 percent hospitalization diversion rate.

Bill has guided Manchester’s Community Mental Health Center to envisioning its path forward by planning strategically and creatively to achieve success. The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester currently shares services with more than 25 community partners and employs more than 400. Operating over 30 programs, MHCGM is the largest provider of outpatient behavioral health services in New Hampshire.  This year alone MHCGM will serve over 11,000 individuals, including veterans and their families, some 800 seniors, and 2,000 children and adolescents.

This year as The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester celebrates its 57^th year in service to the community; it is known as a premier community mental health center and has earned an international reputation as a center of excellence that offers consultation to numerous providers from at least 33 other states and 10 foreign countries

The New Hampshire Business Review recently presented the 2017 excellence awards in eight different categories to honor individuals from New Hampshire-based businesses with less than 100 employees and those with more than 100 employees. Winners were recognized at an evening reception in November and will be featured in the November 10 issue of NH Business Review.