New Report Shows Significant Improvement For Mental Health In New Mexico

NMHS News:
 
SANTA FE — Today, New Mexico Human Services Department Cabinet Secretary Brent Earnest announced that New Mexico has improved ten spots in Mental Health America’s annual rankings, The State of Mental Health in America.
 
New Mexico showed significant improvement across the board in these rankings, including overall, adult, youth, need, and access categories.
 
“We’re continuing to make it a priority to provide much-needed care and treatment to our most vulnerable fellow New Mexicans,” Earnest said. “This encouraging news only strengthens our commitment to building access to behavioral health resources, developing our workforce, and increasing drug and alcohol abuse treatment services.”
 
The report shows New Mexico improved from 46 to 36 in overall mental health, from 40 to 33 in adult mental health, from 50 to 40 in youth mental health, from 51 to 44 in meeting the needs of consumers, and from 27 to 24 in access.
 
2015 Ranking:
  • Overall – 46
  • Adult – 40
  • Youth – 50
  • Need – 51
  • Access – 27

2016 Ranking:

  • Overall – 36
  • Adult – 33
  • Youth – 40
  • Need – 44
  • Access – 24
 
This improvement comes on the heels of recent news showing that more New Mexicans than ever before are receiving the behavioral health services they need and deserve.
 
In 2014 more than 160,000 New Mexicans received behavioral health services, and nearly 84 percent increase from the previous year.
 
Additionally, recent data shows that New Mexico continues to deliver a high level of behavioral health consumer satisfaction.
 
New Mexico surpasses the national average of adult consumer satisfaction of 88 percent, with 89 percent of those surveyed reporting satisfaction with their services, as well as outpacing the national average of 86 percent, with 88 percent of New Mexico parents and caregivers with children reporting being satisfied with services.
 
New Mexico continues to improve quality of and access to treatment, care, and other behavioral health services.
 
For example, just a few months ago, Governor Susana Martinez announced an expansion of the state’s mental health crisis hotline, the New Mexico Crisis and Access Line (NMCAL), which was established in 2013 to provide New Mexicans access to local assistance and resources during a mental health crisis.
 
The expansion included additional funding and certified peer counselors, which improve access to treatment and care to New Mexicans or their loved ones experiencing mental or behavioral health crises.
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