New Mexico bishops call on government to ‘rebuild the mental health system’

NEW YORK – Echoing recent calls to action from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the Catholic Bishops of New Mexico have spoken out on the need for the government, non-profits, and citizens, to all come together to address public safety challenges in the state.

In a July 29 joint statement, the bishops of New Mexico specifically highlighted the need for the state to address mental health issues and alcohol and drug addictions, which they argue are the main root causes of the public safety challenges in the state.

A place to start, the bishops said, is creating a public private campaign.

“We believe that state leaders, anchor organizations, and advocates can come together to find the funding sources for treatment of mental health, alcohol, and drug addictions,” the bishops said.

“This would be the correct order of placing the horse before the cart,” the bishops continued. “It is essential, in the efforts of tackling the epidemic of behavioral health issues in our state, that these resources be in place before we have the conversation about mandatory treatment by the courts. We may not know the full solution, but everyone recognizes the need.”

“If we can’t provide the services for voluntary treatment, how will we ever implement a system for mandatory treatment?” the bishops added. “This responsibility falls on the shoulders of the government, non-profits, and every citizen of the state. This crisis includes people suffering from mental health issues who many times turn to drugs for self-medication.”

Grishman has floated multiple proposals related to mandatory treatment by the courts – expanding court-supervised outpatient treatment for people with mental illness, and/or broadening eligibility for someone who could be ordered by a judge into involuntary mental health treatment – in recent months. Essentially, the bishops argue that before those kinds of proposals are discussed by lawmakers everyone needs to come together to increase the number of resources that are available.

The statement was signed by Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, Bishop Peter Baldacchino of Las Cruces, and Bishop James Wall of Gallup. The statement was also signed by Allen Sánchez, Deacon Steve Rangel, and Rebecca Lucero, who are the respective executive director, associate director and advocate of the New Mexico Conference of Bishops.

It comes amid a push by Grisham for legislative action.

Grisham, a Democrat, convened a special session of the New Mexico State Legislature on July 18 to address public safety concerns in the state. Specifically, she focused on the need to reform criminal competency and mental health treatment standards, as well as issues with inconsistent crime reporting, pedestrian safety, gun violence, organized crime, drug overdoses, and recent fires.

Out of that special session the only bill that was passed was HB 1, which appropriates $100 million to support recovery efforts following the South Fork and Salt fires, as well as ongoing flooding. None of the proposals related to other public safety concerns – including mental health and drug addictions – passed, reportedly as Democrats look to address those needs during the next regular session in January.

In a news release on July 31, Grisham said that “the legislature’s failure to prioritize public safety for New Mexicans during the special session is deeply disappointing.”

The bishops of New Mexico, meanwhile, kept the focus on the need for mental health resources in the state. They maintained that if all sides come together they can rebuild the state’s mental health system.

“Together, we can rebuild the mental health system of the state,” the bishops said. “We, the Catholic Bishops of New Mexico, remain hopeful that the task before us can be accomplished in the same magnificent ways of the Early Childhood campaign and with the hope that these challenges do not also take us a decade to resolve.”

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