Frequently Asked Questions

The AskPETRA Community Health Worker/Recovery Coaches (CHW/RC) will only ask for the information that is necessary to make an appropriate referral or resource connection for your benefit. You may be asked your location, your contact information and if you’re over the age of 18. You have the right to refuse to give your personal information, but it may impact the ability to achieve a successful referral.

By law, the Community Health Worker/ Recovery Coaches (CHW/RCs) are required to keep your personal information confidential. AskPETRA understands the critical need for confidentiality and ensures that your information will be protected during the process of providing you with the immediate resources you need. The program will only disclose your information with your consent or if there is a threat of harm to yourself or others, as required by the State of New Hampshire mandated reporter laws. To read the law, click here.

No, AskPETRA is here to provide education, connections and resources for the communities of Northern New Hampshire. Providers can call to secure help for patients or learn about trainings; community members can call to learn how to help or bring education to their area; family and friends can call looking for guidance.

You do not have to share your name- this is a personal choice, but please be aware that this may impact the process of connecting you with the resources AskPETRA is able to provide you with.

There are multiple types of referrals provided by AskPETRA and most can be completed by the end of the initial contact. Some referrals may require the Community Health Worker/Recovery Coach to reconnect with you at an agreed upon time.

AskPETRA is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. During these hours you can expect to connect directly to a Community Health Worker/Recovery Coach (CHW/RC). If all CHW/RCs are on the line, you can leave a message or call back. If you choose to leave a message, a CHW/RC will contact you in a reasonable timeframe.

There is no cost to use AskPETRA services or to connect to services with a Community Health Worker/Recovery Coach (CHW/RC). For other services outside of AsKPETRA, such as treatment centers, some trainings, etc., there may be costs. Call AskPETRA for details or with questions you may have.

If your town is not listed on the map page, please refer to a town near you or call AskPETRA. There are multiple reasons why a town may not be listed on this page and the AskPETRA Community Health Worker/Recovery Coaches are trained to provide resources near you. When in doubt, please call!

Currently, all Community Health Worker/Recovery Coaches speak English. AskPETRA will make the best attempt to accommodate other languages but may have to refer you elsewhere for appropriate services.

AskPETRA Community Health Worker/Recovery Coaches are people who live and work in Northern New Hampshire- they are your neighbors. CHW/RCs have received specific training to be able to assist you.

On Monday – Friday from 8:00am- 4:30pm, you can expect a connection to a trained Community Health Worker/Recovery Coach. After hours or if the lines are busy, you will have the option to leave a message and an AskPETRA representative will respond to you during the regular working hours.

You can reach out as often as you need to. If you need a connection to a Community Health Worker/Recovery Coach who can work with you on an ongoing basis, AskPETRA can connect you to this service. AskPETRA is not a replacement for long-term counseling, or other treatment methods, and should not become the primary resource for these professional needs.

If texting the program during AskPETRA’s off hours, please note that you do not need to text more than once as you will receive a reply when AskPETRA comes online at 8:00am the following business day.

Most trainings are open to people of any area. If you have questions regarding whether you can attend a specific training, please use the information in the listing to contact someone directly. If you are still in doubt, please contact AskPETRA.

AskPETRA is always looking to provide information on upcoming events and trainings that are relevant to the program goal. If you have something you’d like added to the “Resources” or “Upcoming Trainings” pages, please contact the program.

Yes. AskPETRA can be a great resource for your patients and can provide Community Health Worker/Recovery Coach services and supports at no cost to the patient.

Feel free to contact AskPETRA directly as staff may know about future trainings that are not formally posted yet.

If AskPETRA refers an individual to a Community Health Worker/Recovery Coach, the client will be asked if they are willing to sign a release for the CHW/RC to communicate with the provider. If they are unwilling to sign a release of information, then the provider will not be notified.

Yes, please reach out to AskPETRA to gain connections to peer support organizations that you could volunteer with.

Yes, AskPETRA can provide you with a safe place to have a conversation about what you need and is able to refer you to peer supports or a Community Health Worker/Recovery Coach who can help you through this time.

The best thing to do if you find a used needle is to call your local law enforcement agency who will have the proper equipment to dispose of the needle. If this is not possible, follow these steps:

• Wear gloves, if possible
• Pick needle up by the blunt end. Some people prefer to use tongs or pliers, but only do this if you know for certain you will have a good grip. You do not want the needle flip out of the tool’s grasp
• Place needle in a thick-walled plastic container. Use something thicker than a water bottle or milk container. A shampoo bottle or laundry detergent bottle is ideal.
• Wash hands
• Bring bottle with syringe to your local drop off site. Contact your local police department for drop off sites.

If you’ve been stuck by a used needle, wash the wound site immediately with soap and water, then call your health care provider immediately.

There are many sites in the North Country that collect unused medications. Many dropboxes are at police stations, but there are no questions asked and the boxes are generally accessible from outside or just inside the building. Above all, it’s important not to flush any medication down the toilet as it can pollute groundwater. Click on the PDFs below for more information.

North Country Health Consortium’s PETRA program does not collect personally identifiable information (PII) about you unless you choose to provide that information to the program. Any personal information you chose to provide is protected by HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 unless it is determined that the user is a danger to self or others. Non-personal information related to the AskPETRA website may be automatically collected and temporarily stored. North Country Health Consortium does not disclose, give, sell, or transfer any personal information about visitors unless required for law enforcement or by Federal law.