Programs and Services - Families First Health and Support Center

Health Care and Family Services

Families First provides "one-stop-shopping" for a broad range of health care and family services. To find out more, read the Welcome to Families First booklet for an overview of all our services. Or, follow these links for more about: primary care for men, women and children of all ages; prenatal care; on-site dental care; mobile health care for the homeless; and many parenting and family programs.

Families First Program History: A Growing Response to Community Needs

Year Began	Program	Description
1984	Prenatal Program	Comprehensive prenatal medical care, as well as counseling and education in nutrition, substance abuse, smoking cessation, breastfeeding, family planning and parenting support. A social services coordinator works with clients to help them get other services elsewhere in the community.
1992	Parenting and Family Programs	Includes home visiting, parenting classes, parent support groups, parent-child playgroups and other family programs, and care coordination. Free child care while parents attend parenting classes or medical appointments.
1997	Primary Health Care Program	Comprehensive family medical care, which includes well-child care, sick care, substance abuse counseling, social work counseling, nutritional counseling, smoking cessation and health education.
1998	First Steps	Home visiting program targeting Families First Prenatal Program participants, which follows families until the child is one year old. Brochure
1999	Developmental assessments in Health Center	Infant and toddler development specialist meets with families in the exam rooms to conduct developmental assessments of children ages 0-3. Provided through funding with Easter Seals.
1999	Seacoast Healthy Grins	School-based oral health education, screening, cleaning and referrals in the Portsmouth area.
2000	Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening	Income-eligible women receive free Pap tests, pelvic examinations, clinical breast exams and mammograms through the federal "Let No Woman Be Overlooked" program.
2002	Partners in Health	Support and advocacy for families with a chronically ill child.
2002	Health Care for the Homeless	Van-based health care teams deliver services to homeless people in eastern Rockingham County and Strafford County.
2003	Dental Center	On-site preventive, restorative and emergency oral health care, as well as oral health education and care coordination. Open to all Families First Health Center patients. Also open to all children and teens living in New Hampshire or Maine.
2008	Behavioral health specialist	On-site support for Health Center patients in managing any health condition with a behavioral component, from anxiety and depression to diabetes, hypertension, and more. Also: help with changes such as improving diet and exercise habits or reducing substance use.