New Mexico is one of eight states invited to a national learning collaborative
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Health Care Authority has been selected as one of eight state agencies to participate in a national learning collaborative led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
This learning collaborative is designed to improve mental health services, reduce disparities and strengthen access to behavioral health across communities.
“Improving behavioral health systems starts with listening to communities” said Nick Boukas, director of 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 learning collaborative will bring together behavioral health leaders to encourage peer learning, share innovative and evidence-based practices, and support effective implementation. This collaborative includes hands-on practical work to identify best practices that states can successfully implement.
Annabelle Martinez, deputy director of the Health Care Authority’s Behavioral Health Services Division, and Bianca Shultz, provider relations coordinator, will represent New Mexico in the collaborative.
“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 and support community engagement, identify and address barriers preventing meaningful participation, and document best practices for community-led behavioral health care across the state.
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We talk, interpret and smile in all languages. We provide written information to our customers in both English and Spanish and interpretation services are available in 58 languages through our provider, CTS Language Link. For our hearing, and speech impaired customers, we utilize Relay New Mexico, a free 24-hour service that ensures equal communication access via the telephone to individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or speech disabled.
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