Newly updated New Hampshire State Law Forbids AA Requirement for IDIP Aftercare

Good news! Amethyst Foundation, Inc., and other NH IDCMPs can no longer require AA or any other type of religious or spiritual-based program if a "client" objects:

Under section: He-A 507.04 Service Plan Development, in effect as of January 1, 2013:

(i) IDCMPs may include in a client’s service plan a recommendation for, but
shall not require, the client to participate nor make participation a
requirement of program completion, in any 12-step program or any type of
religious or spiritual based program if the client raises any objection at
any time to participating in such a program.

If you are told to attend AA as part of your aftercare requirement, tell them "no" and you will not have to. If religion is part of any non-AA program, simply raise an objection, and you will not have to continue attending such a program as part of your aftercare requirement.

What if Amethyst Foundation responds to your objection by telling you that you are free to attend any self-help group you can locate? They said this to me, knowing full well that only AA was available in New Hampshire and that I would have to travel, without a license, to Massachusetts to attend an alternative, non-religious program such as Rational Recovery or SMART Recovery.

Having to go out-of-state to attend a non-religious self-help group as an alternative to AA will now be considered an "undue burden." You cannot be required to go to Massachusetts to attend a non-AA self-help group.  (AA is still the only self-help group available in the State of New Hampshire.)

To ensure compliance, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has implemented
comprehensive oversight measures, including inspection of records, participant feedback, and undercover IDIP participants. Both IDCMPs like Amethyst Foundation and LADCs performing aftercare will be monitored.

There still exist tough penalties for being found guilty of a DWI offense, but at least forced religious indoctrination will no longer be one of them.