Residents of Otero County, Lincoln County, and the Mescalero Apache Tribe will have 14 opportunities in December alone to tell state leaders what a stronger, more accessible mental health and substance-use support system should look like in southern New Mexico. The expanded Region 12 listening schedule includes sessions in Corona, Capitan, Carrizozo, Hondo/Arabela, Ruidoso, and on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, in addition to the original Otero County lineup.
All events are open to the public and designed as true community conversations with no lectures or PowerPoints, just neighbors sharing lived experience. “Senate Bill 3 gave us historic funding and a mandate to rebuild behavioral health from the ground up,” said a project spokesperson. “But money without local wisdom is just money. These sessions are how Otero, Lincoln, and Mescalero people make sure the new system actually works for us.”
The in-person listening sessions are scheduled throughout December, with times and locations specified for each town and county. A virtual session will be held January 7, 2025 from 12pm to 1pm, open to all three areas. Organizers especially want to hear from youth, veterans, tribal members, wildfire survivors, families who have lost someone to overdose, and anyone who has ever hit a wall trying to get help.
Interpretation in Spanish and Western Apache, transportation assistance, and disability accommodations are available upon request. Written comments can also be submitted anytime at the SB3 portal at nmcourts.gov. All stories shared will directly shape the multi-year Region 12 Behavioral Health Plan covering crisis services, youth prevention, treatment access, family supports, and long-term community resilience.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://2ndlifemediaalamogordo.town.news/g/alamogordo-nm/n/351288/statewide-behavioral-health-reform-comes-home-region-12-listening-sessions