Erika Collins, North Country Peer Recovery Assistant Director at White Horse Recovery
What she found instead of judgment was a staff that took her under their wing and showed her that hope was still possible. “I came into this center in 2020 and asked for help,” she said. “The staff took me right under their wing and showed me that the hope was still there—that I could have what they had.”
Six years later, Collins is stepping into leadership, as White Horse Recovery has promoted her to North Country Peer Recovery Assistant Director. In this role, she will help guide recovery center operations, programming, and outreach across Northern Grafton and Coos Counties.
Her rise within White Horse tells the story of what peer recovery makes possible, as she began as a client, became a recovery coach, then a center manager, and now an assistant director. “By the grace of God, and a lot of hard work,” she said. “I am so grateful that I work for an organization that has stood by and let me grow into the leader that I know our communities need.”
According to Executive Director Matthew Plache, her story reflects what makes a Recovery Community Organization (RCO) different. As New Hampshire’s longest operating State supported RCO, White Horse offers peer support delivered by staff with lived experience—people who have walked the road themselves and can meet others where they are, without judgment.
“Erika is proof of everything we believe about recovery,” Plache explained. “She didn’t come to this work through a degree or a classroom. She came to it through lived experience, showing up every day, and building something out of a life she once thought she could only destroy. That’s not just her story—that’s the story of what peer recovery can do.”
The challenges Collins now works to address are steep. The North Country struggles with homelessness, limited mental health resources, transportation gaps, and food insecurity—barriers that make recovery even harder in rural New Hampshire, where reliable public transportation often does not exist.
“Every day, I come to work and help in any way that I can,” she said. “Some days, it is just listening, or helping with a ride, or having a coaching session with a client. We support so many people in their journey, at so many different levels, so I always lead with compassion to figure out a plan that will best help that client, especially in the moment.”
In her new role, Collins plans to strengthen relationships with staff in Berlin, deepen community connections, and bring more people through the doors of White Horse’s centers. She also intends to make youth programming a priority in both Littleton and Berlin.
Her reach already extends well beyond White Horse’s walls. She is one of the founders of the Littleton Winter Shelter, serves on the Tri-County Community Action Program (TCCAP) Board, and sits on the advisory board for Granite United Way’s Opioid Abatement Funding.
She was recently selected to serve on the Governor’s Commission Task Force 2026—and in 2024, she received the “Community Heart Award” from the North Country Health Consortium.
That connectedness is one of her strengths. “I am very connected and involved, and I think that is a strength I bring to my new role,” she 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 in Northern New Hampshire, providing both mental health and substance use disorder services, regardless of ability to pay.
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.