New Mexico Department of Health

Program Description

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), is awarding the New Mexico Office of the Governor $3.5 million per year for 5 years to expand on the current service delivery system within Sangre de Cristo Community Health Partnership (SDCCHP) and provide substance abuse services to rural and ethnic minority non-addicted adolescents and adults in primary health clinics, public health offices, and school-based clinics.

Program Model

Screening

Health care providers conduct screening using a Personal Health Profile (PHP), the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI), the AUDIT-AID (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Adapted for Illicit Drug Use), and the MH Screening Form III.

Screening of adolescents is conducted using the Healthy Lifeways Questionnaire, the CRAFFT (Car, Relax, Alone, Forget, Family or Friends), and the Depression Identification and Treatment Protocol.

Brief Intervention

Referrals to brief intervention are made by licensed behavioral health counselors, Primary Care Providers (PCPs), and Promotores (Community Health Workers/Case Managers).

Motivational interviewing and adopted modalities and protocols are discussed in "Enhancing Motivation for Change in Substance Abuse Treatment."

Brief Treatment

Brief treatment is conducted by licensed behavioral health counselors using protocols and modalities based on brief cognitive behavioral therapy and brief strategic interactional therapies.

Adolescent brief treatment is conducted using the Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (ACRA) and the Alcohol Treatment Targeting Adolescents in Need (ATTAIN) model.

Referral

Referrals to community mental health centers or other substance abuse treatment providers are made only for those who fail to respond to the brief intervention/treatment or those whose life situations are unstable.

Service Features

Telehealth technology is used for conducting patient clinical interviews and counseling at over 20 Telehealth sites.

NM SBIRT Services Integrated in New Mexico

  • 22 primary care clinic partner sites across New Mexico
  • High Schools
    • Pecos
    • Taos
    • Espanola
    • Raton
    • Gadsen
    • Santa Theresa
    • College of Santa Fe
    • Silver City
    • Bayard
    • Rio Grande
    • Pojoaque
  • Public Health Offices
    • Taos
    • Raton
    • Las Vegas

NM SBIRT Specialized Treatment Agencies

  • Hoy Recovery Program, Inc.
  • Turquoise Lodge
  • Taos Colfax Community Services
  • Santa Fe Recovery Program
  • Su Vida Adolescent Program
  • New Moon Lodge

Program Effectiveness

As of July 3, 2008, a total of 62,774 patients have received services through this project. Of these, 12.9 percent (8,125) screened positive and received an intervention and/or additional services for substance use.

NM SBIRT services as of July 3, 2008:

  • Screened 51,926 patients
  • Provided brief intervention to 8,125 patients
  • Provided brief treatment to 2,180 patients
  • Referred 543 patients to treatment

Contact Information

Cara Ortega, Project Director
New Mexico Department of Health
NM SBIRT
1190 St. Francis Drive
Santa Fe, NM 87502
(505) 827-2601
ebenavid@doh.state.nm.us