NH Bureau of Developmental Services and Area Agencies: A Complete Directory

How the BDS System Works

The Bureau of Developmental Services is a division within NH DHHS that funds and oversees home and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. BDS doesn't deliver services directly — that happens through ten regional nonprofit Area Agencies contracted to coordinate intake, eligibility, service planning, and provider management.

Each Area Agency covers a defined geographic region. You can't choose a different agency than the one assigned to your town. Finding the right one is the first step in accessing DD Waiver services.

The 10 Area Agencies by Region

Region 1 — Northern Human Services (Conway) Covers the northern tier: Berlin, Colebrook, Conway, Littleton, Woodsville, and surrounding rural communities. Phone: 603-447-3347

Region 2 — PathWays of the River Valley (Claremont) Covers lower Grafton and Sullivan counties: Claremont, Hanover, Lebanon. Phone: 603-504-1547

Region 3 — Lakes Region Community Services (Laconia) Covers Belknap and southern Carroll counties: Laconia, Meredith, and surrounding towns. Phone: 603-524-8811

Region 4 — Community Bridges (Concord) Covers Merrimack County: Concord, Franklin, Pembroke, Bow. Phone: 603-225-4153

Region 5 — Monadnock Developmental Services (Keene) Covers Cheshire and western Hillsborough counties: Keene, Peterborough. Phone: 603-352-1304

Region 6 — Gateways Community Services (Nashua) Covers greater Nashua: Hudson, Merrimack, Milford. Phone: 603-882-6333

Region 7 — The Moore Center (Manchester) Covers greater Manchester: Auburn, Bedford, Goffstown, Londonderry. Phone: 603-206-2700

Region 8 — One Sky Community Services (Portsmouth) Covers the Seacoast: Portsmouth, Exeter, Hampton, Rye. Phone: 603-436-6111

Region 9 — Community Partners (Dover) Covers Strafford County: Dover, Rochester, Somersworth, Durham. Phone: 603-749-4015

Region 10 — Community Crossroads (Atkinson) Covers Salem, Derry, Pelham, Windham, Atkinson. Phone: 603-893-1299

He-M 503 Eligibility Timelines

Once you contact your Area Agency, the intake process follows strict administrative timelines under He-M 503:

• 15 business days from completed application to formal eligibility determination
• 5 business days after eligibility to submit a Level of Care request to BDS
• 15 business days for BDS to issue a Level of Care determination
• 15 days after LOC approval to assign a Service Coordinator
• 15 business days after assignment for the Service Coordinator to hold the initial person-centered planning meeting
• 14 days after the planning meeting for the Service Coordinator to draft the Individual Service Agreement (ISA)
• 10 business days for the client to review and respond to the ISA

On paper, the entire process from application to approved ISA can finish within about three months. In practice, workforce shortages and provider capacity issues regularly stretch this timeline. Some families wait months beyond eligibility approval before physical services — day habilitation, residential placements, respite — actually begin.

When to Contact Your Area Agency

For transition-aged youth, the answer is earlier than you'd expect. Families should initiate contact with their Area Agency during the school year the student turns 16. This lets the agency establish conditional eligibility and begin tracking the youth's support needs well before the age-18 benefits transition.

Starting at 16 rather than 18 gives the Area Agency time to complete the clinical eligibility review, administer the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS-A), and begin ISA development before school services end at 22. Families who wait until 18 or later often find themselves navigating BDS intake and SSI redetermination simultaneously, with no services in place when FAPE ends.

The New Hampshire SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide includes an He-M 503 Timeline Tracker that maps each administrative step against your specific filing dates, so you can track whether your Area Agency is meeting the required deadlines.

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