Council to consider contract for forensic psychiatric hospital Wednesday
Jun. 26—CONCORD — The state of New Hampshire will take an important step Wednesday toward a more humane residence for the mentally ill who cannot stay at New Hampshire Hospital in Concord.
The Executive Council will consider hiring a South Burlington, Vermont, firm to build a secure psychiatric forensic hospital with 24 beds adjacent to the NHH complex off Pleasant Street in the capital city.
The lower of two bids, roughly $42 million, was about $4 million over the budget and prompted state officials to cancel plans to add any of four possible alternate additions to the construction contract, said Administrative Services Commissioner Charles Arlinghaus.
"This could be due to general contractors having difficulty finding subcontractors to bid their projects," Arlinghaus said of the lower bid that was 10% over budget.
"To compound the issue, this particular contract, given its size and complexity, requires a large number of subcontractors to complete the work; subcontractors, in turn, are having difficulty hiring staff."
When lawmakers first discussed this project nearly a decade ago, the price tag was $30 million.
The cost estimate ballooned to nearly $45 million and a few months ago, Health and Human Services Interim Commissioner Lori Weaver got the permission of legislative budget writers to move nearly $6 million from other programs to this project.
Doing without the extras has brought the cost down but still $3.97 million over the latest estimate for the no-frills contract recommended going to PC Construction Co.
The only other bidder, Engelberth Co. Inc. of Concord, said it would need $44.2 million to finish the same job.
State officials had asked the Legislature to consider a 60-bed project to be adjacent to NHH that can care for up to 180 residents but has two closed wings due to staffing and needed repairs.
They then lowered the ask to 40 beds.
Ellen Lapointe, NHH CEO, has called the smaller project a "good start" with 24 beds in a 41,000-square-foot secure facility that will have separate wings for male and female residents.
Currently there are 22 civilly committed patients housed at the Secure Psychiatric Unit (SPU) on the State Prison grounds in Concord that is not accredited to deliver mental health services.
These patients have no convictions yet are housed in prison, mixed in with individuals convicted of various crimes.
Mental health advocates, legislators and the U.S. Commission on Human Rights all concluded the state prison site was not an appropriate place for mental health treatment.
The single patient bedrooms include a private bathroom, built-in wardrobe/desk and weighted bed and chair, state officials said.
Treatment spaces include a medical treatment suite, recreational therapy, vocational kitchen, group meeting rooms, a library/chapel, seclusion rooms, dining space and visitation rooms.
There will be two exterior yards for patient exercise and exposure to the outdoors according to the project's final design.
During informational meetings in Concord, state officials told abutters and other residents a 16-foot high fence of wood and steel construction would keep these residents from leaving the complex.
The group to live in this new forensic hospital will include those who did a crime but cannot stand trial because of their mental illness, those found not guilty at trial because of their illness, and others who are not lawbreakers but considered to be too dangerous to be treated with the other residents at NHH.
Two forensic psychiatrists, two forensic psychologists, and a behavioral analyst along with forensic technicians will provide advanced care.
State dollars will provide 82% of the construction cost with federal grants making up the rest.
Officials believe in the future this new complex may be able to qualified for more federal support given some of these residents could qualify for Medicaid health insurance.
In New Hampshire, the federal government pays 50% of all costs for most Medicaid patients.
