State funding will help county bridge behavioral health gaps, open a resource center

AZTEC — People in San Juan County may soon have a place they can go to get help connecting with mental and behavioral health professionals and resources.

County Behavioral Health Services Director Su Hodgman said the county will use funding from a state grant to open a resource center. This will likely be located in Farmington and could be in the vicinity of San Juan Regional Medical Center.

The County Commission ratified a contract that will provide the county with $250,000 toward bridging gaps identified in the behavioral health gap analysis that was completed last year. The $250,000 will be for one year and the county may receive $500,000 in future years. Hodgman said if the project is done correctly the county will be eligible for $500,000 for the four years following this year.

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This funding comes from the New Mexico Human Service’s Department’s Behavioral Health Services Division.

Hodgman said this funding will allow the county to continue working on the projects listed in the behavioral health gap analysis.

One of those projects was a resource center. This center will be a place where people can go when they need help and get connected with resources in the community. This could mean connecting them with treatment options.

There will be peer mentors staffing the building to help people navigate through the process, including finding services.

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“We won’t do it, but we will walk them through the process so they take ownership of it,” Hodgman told the County Commission.

Hodgman said the peer mentors will help people not get lost during the process, or get scared and back out of finding help for themselves or a family member.

The County Commission meeting can be viewed on YouTube.

Hannah Grover covers government for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4652 or via email at hgrover@daily-times.com.

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