Debbie Simon with her mother and daughter

When Debbie Simon moved her 85-year-old mother from Massachusetts to a New Hampshire nursing home, it felt ironic that she had just started to serve on the board of a recovery organization just miles away. However, for Simon, whose family has been touched by addiction across three generations, joining White Horse Recovery feels like divine timing.

“I feel sandwiched between two generations struggling with addiction,” said Simon, who recently joined White Horse’s Board after being moved by Board Chair Tony Fallon’s presentation at her church.

“As an adult child that has grown up with addiction, and now dealing with my daughter, that has been in and out of rehab for the past four years, I am feeling the familial and generational impact of the disease. But by the grace of God, and just for today, I am thrilled to have both generations sober and with me today.”

Simon’s personal journey mirrors that of many families served by White Horse. Growing up as a child of addiction with a brother diagnosed with schizophrenia, which she now believes was connected to his own addiction struggles, Simon didn’t find Al-Anon until her 50s. She initially went for her family history but soon discovered her own daughter was showing signs of addiction during her sophomore year of high school.

“When you grow up with addiction, you grow up too fast,” she explained. “You develop these protective instincts. I really think my calling is to protect and help people with this disease.”

That calling has taken on new meaning through her 25-year career in medical marketing, where she has worked on products for mental health and opioid addiction. Her professional expertise, combined with her lived experience, brings a unique perspective to White Horse’s mission to provide hope-filled help to those navigating addiction and mental health challenges.

“I was amazed by all the work White Horse does with so little resources,” noted Simon after learning about the organization’s four Recovery Centers across New Hampshire. “I love that it’s faith-based. Without faith, addiction is just too hard for anyone to overcome.”

As a Board member, Simon’s immediate goals include expanding White Horse’s visibility, particularly among young people who may not know these resources exist. She envisions community events that bring people together.

“There’s no way you can fight addiction alone,” she emphasized. “My goal is to get the message out there and bring people together. Maybe getting young people from White Horse out into the community talking about recovery.”

For Simon, serving on White Horse’s board represents more than professional service—it is a continuation of her family’s recovery story. This past Christmas, three generations gathered at St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Alton, New Hampshire—Simon, her mother, and her daughter, all navigating their own relationships with addiction and recovery.

“I look at Mary and think about what she endured for her son,” she reflected. “That’s kind of why I said yes to White Horse. It’s a higher calling.”

Founded in Center Ossipee, New Hampshire, White Horse Recovery has grown from a small organization into a leading nonprofit with 28 employees across four locations, providing both mental health and substance use disorder services.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone. White Horse Recovery offers services for those ready to start their journey to recovery. For more information, call 603-651-1441, Ext. 1.

Drew and Gracie Pedersen

“Addiction runs in the Pedersen family, but so does recovery now,” said Drew.

Drew’s battle with alcohol began at age 12 in the 1960s, escalating through decades of struggle with cocaine. After achieving 14 years of sobriety, he relapsed when Gracie’s older sister began using heroin. “Fifteen years of on and off drinking followed,” he said.

For Gracie, while awareness of addiction’s devastation came early, that knowledge did not prevent her own descent into alcoholism by age 22. The turning point arrived when her father initiated an impromptu intervention.

“A good friend sold me on rehab, made it sound like a vacation,” she said. “As soon as I ended up in rehab, I took accountability and took control over my own life.”

White Horse Recovery became their bridge to healing. Drew initially volunteered in 2018, as he wanted to “check the place out to make sure it was okay to bring [his oldest] daughter here.” When Drew brought Gracie to Whitehorse in 2022, staff member Kelsey Wentworth connected Gracie with New Hampshire Detox Center, which began her journey through treatment at Bonfire Recovery Services and then sober living at The Freeman House, both in Dover, NH.

“When I was in treatment, I had a dream to work in treatment,” said Gracie, who landed her first recovery job at Bonfire Behavioral Health’s residential facility in spring of 2023.

For Gracie, her focus is on empowerment. “I love helping people who don’t typically feel seen,” she said.

 

Drew finds purpose in crisis intervention: “I like helping people,” he said. “When things get a little crazy around here, I like that a bit, as long as it ends well.”

Their collaboration extends beyond White Horse’s walls through prevention work at Kingswood Youth Center, where Gracie engages in conversations with young people every other week. “I’ve brought people in to tell their story to the kids—I’m spreading awareness,” she explained.

The strength of both their recoveries faced its ultimate test when Gracie’s mother spent 10 weeks in a coma on a ventilator during COVID-19 restrictions. “It pushed both of us to our personal limits,” Drew said.

Though Gracie initially relapsed during the crisis, the experience ultimately reinforced their commitment to recovery and each other. For Gracie, who recently gained custody of her stepdaughter Ainsley, her focus is clear. “My goal is to be the best mom possible for my daughter,” she said.

For Drew, his goal is equally singular in its focus. “Keep breathing for as long as possible,” he said.

Founded in Center Ossipee, New Hampshire, White Horse Recovery has grown from a small organization into a leading nonprofit with 28 employees across four locations, providing both mental health and substance use disorder services.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone. White Horse Recovery offers services for those ready to start their journey to recovery. For more information, call 603-651-1441, Ext. 1.

From left to right: Certified Recovery Support Worker Drew Pederson, Tim Adams and his dog Jake, Recovery Coach Gracie Pederson, and White Horse Executive Director Matthew Plache

White Horse Recovery has been awarded a $35,000 grant from the Kendal C. and Anna Ham Charitable Foundation to purchase a dedicated transportation vehicle for its North Conway location. The Kendal C. and Anna Ham Charitable Foundation focuses on supporting the Mt. Washington Valley of New Hampshire, and Bridgton and Fryeburg, Maine communities in areas of human services, environment, and community development.

According to White Horse Executive Director Matthew Plache, the grant will eliminate many of the transportation barriers that often prevent clients from reaching detox facilities, intensive outpatient therapy sessions, recovery meetings, and essential support services.

“Many clients served by White Horse Recovery are homeless, lack vehicle access, or have lost driving privileges due to addiction-related issues,” he said. “Transportation is often the difference between someone getting help and falling through the cracks.”

Plache said White Horse’s existing transportation program has already demonstrated significant success at their Center Ossipee, Littleton, and Berlin locations.

“Research consistently shows that transportation barriers significantly impact treatment engagement and completion rates, particularly in rural areas where treatment facilities may be located far from where clients live,” he added.

Founded in Center Ossipee, New Hampshire, White Horse Recovery has grown from a small organization into a leading nonprofit with 28 employees across four locations, providing both mental health and substance use disorder services.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone. White Horse Recovery offers services for those ready to start their journey to recovery. For more information, call 603-651-1441, Ext. 1.

Executive Director Matthew Plache at recent staff meeting

White Horse Recovery’s Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is gaining recognition as a transformative approach to addiction recovery, combining 12 weeks of intensive group and individual counseling that has proven successful in helping clients reclaim their lives. However, the program’s innovative model faces sustainability challenges as insurance reimbursements fall significantly short of actual program costs.

The comprehensive IOP requires participants to attend three hours of therapy, three times per week, plus individual sessions—totaling 10 hours of clinical support weekly. This intensive approach, which costs approximately $12,000-$14,000 per client over the 12-week period, has demonstrated remarkable outcomes, including dramatically reduced recidivism rates and successful reintegration into families and communities.

“We don’t just save lives—we change them,” said Matthew Plache, Executive Director of White Horse Recovery. “When people complete our IOP program, they’re different people. They have their lives back, they’re no longer dependent on substances, and they have the tools and community support to sustain their recovery long-term.”

The program’s success extends beyond individual transformation. Recent data from the Carroll County jail shows that participants in White Horse’s recovery groups experienced a recidivism rate drop to just 30%. One recent graduate, who was facing a three-year prison sentence, completed the program and avoided incarceration entirely, now working toward employment and family reunification.

However, the program’s innovative intensity comes at a cost that is not fully covered by insurance. White Horse absorbs approximately $120 more per session than insurance reimbursements provide, creating an annual funding gap that has historically been supported through individual donors and county grants.

Recent reductions in county funding—from $150,000 to $100,000 over the past few years—have intensified the need for community support. “More than 95% of our IOP clients are Carroll County residents, and many are economically disadvantaged,” Plache noted. “We serve anyone regardless of their ability to pay because we believe everyone deserves access to recovery services.”

The program serves clients throughout Carroll County, with participants traveling from Bartlett, Conway, Jackson, Tamworth, Wakefield, and other communities to the Ossipee location. While alcohol remains the most common substance addressed, the program increasingly serves individuals struggling with opioid addiction, particularly fentanyl.

White Horse’s current Annual Fund drive aims to bridge these critical funding gaps, ensuring the IOP program can continue serving 6-8 clients at any given time while maintaining its high-intensity, personalized approach. The organization also provides additional services at no cost to taxpayers, including Smart Recovery groups at the county jail—a $70,000 annual value.

“Every person in addiction affects at least 10 others—employers, family members, friends,” Plache explained. “In a state where addiction and mental health challenges affect nearly 20% of the population, programs like ours provide hope and real solutions.”

Founded in Center Ossipee, New Hampshire, White Horse Recovery has grown from a small organization into a leading nonprofit with 28 employees across four locations, providing both mental health and substance use disorder services.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone. White Horse Recovery offers services for those ready to start their journey to recovery. For more information, call 603-651-1441, Ext. 1.