Goal 4: Improve Behavioral Health

The tasks and activities in this initiative are determined and undertaken through the efforts of all agencies within the Behavioral Health Collaborative. As mentioned previously in this plan, it is anticipated that in FY 2008 the Behavioral Health Services Division, currently a division within the Department of Health, will move to the Human Services Department. HSD will seek options to ensure sustainability of the highly successful grant programs such as the co-occurring disorder program and the screening brief intervention referral and treatment program (SBIRT).

Task 4.1 Reduce suicide among young and high-risk individuals

1. Double the number of behavioral health encounters in SBHCs.
2. Expand the statewide Agora Crisis Line utilizing peers as well as trained professionals.
3. Conduct a statewide media campaign to advertise the Toll-free Crisis Hotline.
4. Increase the number of outreach and behavioral health educational presentations to teens.
5. Implement the SAMSHA prevention and early intervention grant for youth suicide in four rural communities in New Mexico (Gallup, Pojoaque, Carlsbad and Mescalero).
6. Educate families and communities on youth suicide issues, including stigma reduction through social marketing and outreach campaigns.
7. Perform prevention, education and outreach to 5,000 at-risk families per year.
8. Increase reliance on telehealth counseling to eight school-based health centers and juvenile justice facilities.
9. Increase screening of teens at schools, public health clinics and private providers to identify at-risk youth.
10. Expand specialized treatment for seniors, persons with physical or cognitive impairments, persons who are non- English speaking, and Native Americans.
11. Promote positive youth development opportunities in communities, schools and workplaces, juvenile probation and parole offices, Protective Services and juvenile justice facilities.
12. Facilitate discussion with Native American communities on the major youth issues of suicide, teen pregnancy, domestic violence, substance abuse and alcohol as identified in the DOH produced video called "REZ Hope" to increase awareness and promote community action.
13. Identify risk factors for veterans and work with State and local military and veteran’s organizations to develop programs and services that address suicide-related issues for veterans and their families.
14. Develop public service announcements and other media to specifically address reducing the stigma associated with seeking help for depression and suicidal thoughts; to include the development of outreach programs that acquaint the general public with early warning signs and to provide information on how to best respond to an individual who is at risk of suicide.
15. Increase the number of Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) with tribes and pueblos to refer Native American youth to tribal Healing-to-Wellness and Peacemaker courts.
16. Develop a state-wide pool of therapists that are specifically trained to treat veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder associated with service in war zones and the related challenges facing their families.
17. Train providers in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which is a therapeutic intervention recommended for Post Traumatic Stress by the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense.
18. Train providers in veteran’s opportunities and benefits provided by the state and federal government.
19. Increase the number of behavioral health encounters in SBHCs.
20. Educate families and communities on youth suicide issues, including stigma reduction through social marketing and outreach campaigns.
21. Increase reliance on telehealth counseling to 8 school-based health centers and juvenile justice facilities.

Task 4.2: Improve access, quality, and value of mental health and substance abuse

1. Evaluation process underway (including process, system performance and customer/family outcomes).
2. Continue implementation standardized service definitions across Collaborative Agencies and begin coordination with county DWI services, domestic violence services, and services purchased through Administrative Office of the Courts (i.e., mental health and drug courts).
3. Finalize school-based behavioral health standards.
4. Implement a pilot of the Behavioral Health Standards and Best Practice Guidelines to evaluate the effectiveness of the tool in four SBHCs.
5. Include Assertive Community Treatment, MultiSystemic Therapy (MST), Comprehensive Community Support Services (CCSS), and Intensive Outpatient Services (IOP) in the Medicaid state plan to the extent resources are available.
6. Continue development and technical assistance for local collaborative especially regarding community and family involvement.
7. Implement education and training strategy to increase provider capacity to deliver evidence-based practices and effectively implement new changes to Medicaid state plan.
8. Research feasibility of using Medicaid dollars to reimburse Native American providers for traditional healing services.
9. Develop and implement a comprehensive behavioral health plan as required by state and federal law, as part of state’s overall comprehensive health plan.
10. Implement collaborative contract oversight processes and common funding and data collection approaches.
11. Complete community reinvestment criteria and process; focus reinvestment funding on priorities needed to improve access, quality & outcomes (e.g. basic services, consumer and family operated services).
12. Complete and implement service capacity development plans in priority areas (e.g. supported housing, employment, school success for SED children, youth).
13. Implement new intensive substance abuse and methamphetamine capital and services plan with FY07 state general funds that was approved by Collaborative.
14. Complete consumer/family satisfaction surveys for FY 06.

Task 4.3 Provide enhanced services for high-risk and high need individuals

1. Enhance services to address adolescent and adult substance abuse treatment and prevention. Develop management letter for transfer of program operations to statewide entity.
2. Provide intensive services/supports for children/ adolescents with behavioral health needs in custody or at-risk of out-of-home placement.
3. Revise residential treatment services, rates, definitions and requirements.
4. Explore and implement inclusion of traditional healers and culturally specific healing practices in service definitions.
5. Participate in a veteran’s health summit.
6. Provide specialized training for behavioral health providers working with veterans.
7. Increase services for persons with behavioral health needs leaving jails or prisons, including youth leaving the juvenile justice system.
8. Increase the number of persons leaving prison and juvenile justice behavioral health services whose needs are served post-release.
9. Include psychotropic medications in treatment services to help non-Medicaid eligible persons avoid hospitalization or institutionalization.
10. Conduct an Employment Barrier Screening and Assessment that identifies personal and family barriers to employment, including domestic violence, substance abuse, learning disabilities, mental health needs, and caring for a household member with special needs. TANF clients with positive screening results are referred to DV, BH, VR, educational or other supportive services.

Task 4.4: Increase rural, frontier, and border access to behavioral health services.

1. Implement FY 2007 intensive substance abuse and methamphetamine plan adopted by BH Collaborative.
2. Develop and disseminate first draft of comprehensive behavioral health plan reflecting preliminary resource inventory and needs identified by local collaboratives,
3. Develop legislative initiatives reflecting statewide comprehensive planning process involving local collaboratives and the BH Planning Council (BHPC).
4. Increase the use of promotoras, peer specialists, nurse practitioners and/or programs designed specifically for persons who are Native Americans or who are Spanishspeaking as part of capacity development in the area of cultural competence.
5. Develop support services to see that the unique behavioral health needs of Native Americans are addressed and facilitate tribal-state partnerships.
6. Expand telehealth services in rural New Mexico with focus on school and primary care sites as part of Invest NM.
7. Set standards for and increase the use of telehealth for behavioral health purposes.
8. Add telehealth services to Medicaid state plan.
9. Offer training to behavioral health workforce to increase availability of evidence-based services in rural, frontier and border counties and regions.
10. Coordinate with tribes and pueblos to expand tribal Healing-to-Wellness and Peacemaker court programs.