The New Mexico Health Care Authority has been chosen as one of eight state agencies to join a national learning collaborative led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This initiative aims to enhance mental health services, reduce disparities, and improve access to behavioral health in communities.
"Improving behavioral health systems starts with listening to communities," said Nick Boukas, director of the Health Care Authority’s Behavioral Health Services Division. "By engaging our staff in opportunities like this, we create solutions that are not only effective but rooted in the realities and needs of the people we serve."
The collaborative will bring together leaders in behavioral health to promote peer learning, share innovative practices, and support effective implementation. The focus is on practical work to identify best practices that states can adopt successfully.
Annabelle Martinez, deputy director of the Behavioral Health Services Division, and Bianca Shultz, provider relations coordinator, will represent New Mexico in this effort. "This is a great opportunity to share what has worked in New Mexico and to learn from others across the country on how we can center communities as we build a stronger behavioral health workforce," said Martinez. "I’m happy to be participating in this collaborative and look forward to putting lessons learned into practice here at home."
The knowledge gained from this initiative will help promote community engagement, identify barriers preventing participation, and document best practices for community-led behavioral health care across New Mexico.
Information from this article can be found here.
