White Horse client, Heather, working on diamond art

Heather, a current client of White Horse Recovery, has a recovery journey marked by both struggle and resilience. After a long battle with addiction—starting with crystal meth and later cocaine—she found herself cycling through periods of sobriety and relapse.

“I’d been in and out of sobriety for a long time,” she shared.

The loss of her child in 2004 devastated her — and even as she welcomed a daughter in 2006 and a son in 2012, the pain lingered, which made recovery feel out of reach.

Things began to change, however, after her father passed away in February of 2025, a turning point that seemed to open a new chapter. Noting that this time, sobriety felt different, Heather credits much of her progress to the support she found at White Horse Recovery in Ossipee, a place she discovered after leaving jail in 2014 when her daughter was just four.

“They used to do family nights—I’d bring my kids, and we really enjoyed it,“ she recalled. “There were holiday parties and Santa would come. I developed a really strong relationship with the Recovery Coaches there, too.”

Even when she struggled, she said White Horse was a constant presence and always welcomed her back. A big part of her healing has also come through arts and crafts, specifically diamond art.

“Diamond art got me through rehab,” she said. “I’ve been doing them all the time, every day for five months at night when I’m watching TV. It’s my thing.”

Now, she shares this passion with others, leading diamond art classes at White Horse and connecting with clients through creativity and conversation.

“I’ve never really had a career,” she noted. “I dropped out of school and always found myself in mischief. I kind of feel like I have a purpose in life. All my pain and struggles—I can help somebody else.”

Relationships that were once strained have started to mend. Citing “a great relationship with [her] mom today—she describes her as her number one fan — Heather said relations have also improved with her daughter (age 20), who is currently attending school for criminal justice and lives on a farm. “I think she trusts me more now than ever,” she added.

The path to reconnecting with her 13-year-old son, who lives with his grandmother, has admittedly been tougher, but Heather said she is working with his family and his counselor to be part of his life again. “I get to see him now and I get to talk to him on Fridays,” she explained.

Her support system extends beyond her immediate family, as she says her dad’s side of the family are mostly “really supportive and encourage” her. She said her dad, who passed away, would “be so proud.” “He always wanted me to get sober and I never could,” she said. “It’s kind of crazy that I am now.”

Despite numerous successes in her life, Heather acknowledges that she does face challenges, as legal issues and probation are still part of her life. However, she said she meets these challenges with dreams and hopes.

“I want to be a recovery coach,” said Heather, who says her Recovery Coach at White Horse, Joy, has helped her set and achieve a variety of goals. “I just can’t say enough about Joy.”

In reflecting on her experience at White Horse, she said she has come to believe that her lived experience will allow her to support others in a way that only someone who has “been there” truly can. She credits White Horse as helping instill this belief in her.

“It didn’t matter how many times I messed up,” she said. “I knew the door was always open for me, and they would always help me. I feel like part of a family. They have always made me feel welcome.”

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.

White Horse Recovery’s Center Ossipee Recovery Center

For many clients, especially those navigating early recovery, reliable transportation can be the difference between getting help and going without it, a reality that underscores the increased use of telehealth at White Horse Recovery.

“Telehealth allows people who might not seek treatment, because transportation is a huge barrier, to reach out for help,” said Eli Koester, MSW, LICSW, an outpatient counselor at White Horse Recovery. “Anybody who has a reliable internet connection and a safe and private space to meet can receive services through telehealth.”

Telehealth sessions are typically conducted by video, with expectations that clients participate from a safe, private space—not in shared living areas—and never while driving. White Horse also confirms the client’s location at the start of sessions to support emergency protocols if needed.

“We want people in front of a camera treating session like they were sitting in the office,” added Koester.

According to Matthew Plache, White Horse Executive Director, telehealth is particularly important for their clients.

“We service the northern part of New Hampshire, which is rural and spread out, so it’s important we do all we can to remove barriers to accessibility.”

Some of these barriers, noted Koester, are more complex. “Many people navigating recovery are in court systems and mandated to receive treatment,” he said. “However, many of them have lost their license, so being able to offer telehealth in those situations is very helpful.”

White Horse is also exploring expanded virtual programming, including the possibility of telehealth-based group services and intensive outpatient options, as community needs evolve.

“Telehealth isn’t a convenience add-on for us—it’s access to care,” said Plache. “When a person is ready for help, we want the door to be open that day, not weeks later because they can’t find a ride or can’t take the first step into an unfamiliar building.”

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.

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.