
NH Healthy Climate Working Groups
NH Healthy Climate’s volunteers are spread across our five active Working Groups Learn more about each group below and get involved!
Dr. Bob Feder
Behavioral Health Working Group
Initiatives:
Strategize about approaches to education and advocacy on the impact of climate on the mental health of children and adults
Develop recommendations and guidelines for behavioral health clinicians whose patients are dealing with symptoms related to climate change
Reduce the behavioral health impacts of climate change by developing recommendations and guidelines for communities to increase their climate change preparedness
Establish collaborations with national and state groups
Created, “A Brief Guide to Individual Therapy for Climate-Related Mental Distress”
Chair:
Maria Finnegan
Children’s Health Working Group
Initiatives:
Lead the Climate and Health Initiative for Caregivers and Kids (CHICKs) program
Protect the emotional and physical health of young children in the face of a warming climate
Develop strategies and serve as a partner for the Climate Informed Pediatric Care project
Advocate for adoption of positive climate and health policies by child healthcare organizations, such as NH AAP
Engage the broader child healthcare community, including trainees and early-career healthcare workers in climate action
Chair:
Semra Aytur
Suzanne Gaulocher
Climate Justice Working Group
Initiatives:
Actively listen to community issues on health equity/climate justice and social determinants of health
Partner with the NAACP-Manchester, the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, and other community organizations on issues related to climate justice, environmental justice, and Social Determinants of Health
Design collaborative health equity/climate justice projects with communities across the state of NH
Participate in the Environmental Justice Roundtable, meetings with state partners to collectively discuss environmental justice activities in NH and to build toward greater Environmental Justice in the state and region.
Co-Chairs:
Bob Dewey
Cynthia Nichols
Communications & Education Working Group
Initiatives:
Oversee www.nhclimatehealth.org
Lead the Speakers Bureau
Develop strategies for community outreach and marketing
Plan and develop content for the bi-monthly newsletter, the NH CHAT
Create an interdisciplinary program of interactive webinars with state and national experts
Publish Op-Eds and Letters to the Editors in media around the state
Co-Chairs:
Policy & Advocacy Working Group
Initiatives:
Track, monitor and communicate with NH Healthy Climate participants regarding active legislation in NH relating to climate and health
Contribute evidence-based information from expert healthcare voices at public hearings for proposed legislation relating to climate and health
Advocate for climate solutions to improve health for all
Lead efforts to increase Health System Sustainability in New Hampshire