For Immediate Release

“A program of Seacoast Mental Health Center for 22 years, New Heights to become independent”

Portsmouth, NH, December 8, 2009 — New Heights, a popular program that offers a wide range of risk prevention and confidence-building activities for Seacoast adolescents, will become an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization in 2010.

Located within Portsmouth’s Community Campus, New Heights serves Seacoast youth, ages 11 to 18, through a variety of experiential learning activities and has become recognized throughout the state for its innovative school year and summer programming.

Founded in 1987, New Heights’s mission is to assist Seacoast youth in developing the competence, character, confidence, and resiliency necessary for a healthy and successful adulthood. New Heights was established as a subsidiary program of Seacoast Mental Health Center in 1987.

The current move toward independent nonprofit status comes after a thoughtful strategic planning process supported by the Foundation for Seacoast Health. In this process, all facets of New Heights’ programs and organizational structure were reviewed as well as its potential for future growth.

According to Jay Couture, executive director of Seacoast Mental Health Center, “An independent New Heights makes sense.”

“SMHC founded New Heights and has been able to nurture its development, but New Heights will now benefit from having an independent status and a board of directors that is 100 percent focused on New Heights,” she said.

Tracey Tucker, director at New Heights, added, “We are very grateful to SMHC for its support over the years. With their help, New Heights has developed a strong identity in the community. Becoming independent is the next logical step for us. Our job now is to implement a smooth transition and continue to reach out to the community for support of our vital programs. The main thing to focus on is the reason we are here—to provide a positive and healthy program for teenagers throughout the Seacoast.”