Family Resource Counseling

Family Resource Counseling logo

Sometimes you need some assistance affording medical care for yourself or your family. Family Resource Counseling is a free service that can help you find out if you qualify for free or reduced-cost services. Applying for federal, state, or local services can sometimes be difficult, complicated, or overwhelming. Our Family Resource Counselor will provide you with one-on-one assistance to complete these applications.

Make an appointment for Family Resource Counseling today
We are available via email or by calling 603-354-5454, ext. 3868.

Do I need to be a patient at Cheshire to get your help?

No. We can work with anyone in the Greater Monadnock Region. This includes Keene, Cheshire County, the Peterborough area, the Brattleboro area, and as far north as Springfield, VT.

How we can help you

We will work with you one-on-one and may be able to help you get:

  • Dental: preventive and restorative care
  • Drug and alcohol services
  • Financial assistance for health care at Cheshire Medical Center, other Dartmouth Health locations, as well as some hospitals outside of our health care system
  • Health care for children ages birth through 19 years
  • Hearing aids
  • Medication assistance for prescription drugs
  • Mental health services
  • Prenatal care and delivery
  • Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) and Specified Low - Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB), Medicare assistance for low-income seniors
  • Vision exams and eyeglasses

We might also be able to help by:

  • Working with school nurses
  • Speaking with company benefit specialists
  • Helping you find a physician, dentist, or other clinical provider
  • Making referrals for other services such as Women Infants and Children (WIC), housing assistance, fuel assistance, and homeless shelters

Can you help me apply for services?

For many services, we will connect you to the people who provide the help you need. Often, we can let you know what information you will need to apply for a service, then help you complete your application.

Where can I meet to get help?

You can meet in our office at Cheshire Medical Center, at a school, or at your place of business. You can even make an appointment to meet outside of regular business hours, such as evenings or on a weekend. Some people prefer virtual visits via a smartphone or computer.

Can you help me apply for medical insurance and how fast can you help if I or my child need immediate medical treatment?

  • The Family Resource Counseling program partners with the Department of Health and Human Services. Our counselor can open New Hampshire Medicaid coverage for children or adults immediately depending on the urgency of the need. This coverage includes immediate access to health care services, dental services, and prescription medication. It guarantees payment to the providers who offer these services.
  • Our counselor is also a certified application counselor for the Health Insurance Marketplace under the Affordable Care Act and can assist you with the application process and explain the various insurance plans and the utilization of health insurance. 

Can you help me even if I don’t have young children?

If you are struggling to pay your medical bills, we may be able to help you if you are retired or do not have children. Please give us a call to find out if we can help.

Language help/interpretation

Let us know if you need language assistance. If you speak a language other than English or use sign language, language assistance services are available to you free of charge. 

Cheshire Medical Center provides free assistive aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as large print, an amplified listening device, whiteboards, and magnifiers. 

We partner with others to offer you more assistance

Family Resource Counselors also work with other programs at Cheshire Medical Center who can help you get low cost or free medications, reduce your expenses, or stop smoking. For example: