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United Way seeking mental health grant

Eastern New Mexico News - 4/24/2022

Apr. 23—The United Way of Eastern New Mexico is spearheading a drive to get money for improved mental health services across eastern New Mexico.

UWENM Executive Director Erinn Burch reports she got help from the staff at the Eastern Plains Council of Governments to apply for the $2 million grant from the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

"We enlisted the help of EPCOG because of their expertise," Burch said.

If the grant is approved it will provide $500,000 per year over four years for mental health services in Clovis, Portales, the village of Fort Sumner, Curry, Roosevelt, DeBaca and Quay counties.

Improved mental health services are needed in the area, according to Burch.

"Over the last three years we've been working on our Youth Success Initiative at the United Way," Burch said. "Our mental health and substance abuse access committee gathered data from Plains Regional Medical Center and Mental Health Resources."

"We learned that PRMC was transporting about 200 people per year to inpatient mental health facilities," Burch continued. "200 per year is a very high number."

She said the patients were of a variety of ages.

"An added difficulty is these inpatient facilities are 100 or more miles away," Burch said. "Being that far away is an added difficulty in the treatment."

"The whole thing is very challenging," she said.

Curry County Manager Lance Pyle suggested the issue went beyond Clovis, Burch said.

Pyle said it was in March 2021 that representatives from Clovis, Portales, the village of Fort Sumner, Curry, Roosevelt, DeBaca and Quay counties got together and funded a $60,000 feasibility study regarding improving mental health services in the area.

"This is a problem statewide," Pyle said. "I'm excited that we have collaborated with all these cities and counties in our area. We can accomplish a lot when we work together."

Pyle is particularly keen on acquiring improved mental health services for the Curry County Adult Detention Center.

"I'm particularly interested in seeing improved discharge coordination for individuals with behavioral health problems who are leaving incarceration," Pyle said. "Aftercare when released is important."

"The grant goes much further that the detention center," Pyle said. "The monies may be used for schools, Clovis Community College, Eastern New Mexico University, the hospital and more."

"Erinn Burch was instrumental in facilitating this process," Pyle said.

One big goal, according to Pyle, is the creation of a behavioral health facility in the area.

"Most likely near Clovis because of the population of the area," Burch said. "A facility, particularly one that has youth beds, has been the focus of talk recently."

If the $2 million four-year grant is approved it would bring mental health service availability to the rural areas of the region including outlying school systems, according to Burch.

"Funds would also be there to strengthen the workforce of mental health providers," Burch said. "And it would help improve discharge coordination for the formerly incarcerated with substance abuse issues."

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(c)2022 Eastern New Mexico News, Clovis, N.M.

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