New Mexico’s health councils, grassroots organizations in all 33 counties plus tribal communities, are pushing state legislators to secure funding for their work addressing critical public health issues. The latest version of House Bill 2, the state budget bill that passed the House and heads to the Senate, does not include appropriations for the health councils, but the New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils is advocating to add $4 million to support their programs.
There is a health council in each of New Mexico’s 33 counties, plus 10 more in tribal communities. These councils work to tackle major public health problems—including substance use, food insecurity, suicide, and gun violence—in ways specific to each community’s cultural, political, and resource context. Anthony Yepa, who serves as a health care explainer for Santo Domingo Pueblo’s Hopa Health Council (named for a Keres word meaning “the people”), helps members understand complex state and federal health care policy. “That’s what health councils do—from the Roundhouse to the home houses in our communities—because there is a lack of transparency. There is a lack of reach from the state Legislature,” Yepa said.
The alliance had initially pushed for an $8 million appropriation to sustain health council programs and establish new tribal councils. Valeria Alarcón, executive director of the New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils, said she is feeling “hopeful” as the alliance seeks to add $4 million to the budget—a sum consistent with the councils’ current-year appropriation and $1 million more than they received in 2024.
Addressing Community Needs
Health councils address multifaceted community challenges. In Hidalgo County, a remote area of about 4,000 residents in New Mexico’s bootheel, the health council tackles mental health awareness, substance use prevention, food insecurity, and housing insecurity. Joni Kerr, a coordinator for the Substance Prevention Network of Hidalgo County, noted that housing options are limited and the nearest grocery store selling fresh produce can be 45 minutes away. “We don’t want to give up on our community,” Kerr said. “We’re willing to do what it takes to be able to make sure that the people in our community are served.”
Margaret Chavez, coordinator for the Hidalgo County Health Council, emphasized the need for sustainable funding. “This is our monthly discussion, our daily discussion via email: ‘What’s our next priority?’ Because it’s a lot. There’s a lot of priorities, and we’re tackling them all at once,” Chavez said. Rep. Nathan Small, the chair of House Appropriations and Finance, noted that health councils may be able to access funding set aside for behavioral health reforms, which will bring between $5 million and $10 million in grant funding to each of New Mexico’s 13 judicial districts.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/legislature/were-willing-to-do-what-it-takes-new-mexico-health-councils-push-for-state-funding/article_fcf36f63-f5d1-4176-8170-5328475663db.html