A Note from the Executive Director | | |
Goodbye 2025! As students and SBHCs work toward the winter break, please accept the warmest thanks from NMASBHC for your hard work this year. We hope you all have the restful and joyous break you have earned! Before you leave, however, let us ask for two things:
1) Please complete your NMASBHC Directory Update survey! There is a link below, and we ask every single SBHC to respond so that our online and print tools are as accurate as humanly possible. It is critically important as we enter the 2026 NM legislative session, in which more than 20 legislators are brand new! Let us know if you need help, and please note that the incentive gift card deadline also has been extended. That being said, a big congratulations to the Des Moines SBHC and the Lordsburg SBHC for winning our two $50 Amazon gift cards for completing the directory in a timely fashion!
2) Please accept our gratitude for the wonderful participation in the 2025 SBHC Pre-Conference of Head to Toe. We were thrilled to see so many of you and hope you learned as much as we did. Thank you so much for your active engagement and for all of the resources you gained that I know you’ll be sharing with the children in your communities.
Wishing you the warmest and happiest of holiday seasons!
Nancy Rodriguez, nancy@nmasbhc.org
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December 2025 features East San Jose ES, Van Buren MS, Washington MS, sponsored by UNM Medical Group
Thank you for all the SBHCs who participated and submitted pictures!
Thank you to Presbyterian Health Plan for sponsoring the 2025 calendar.
If you were unable to pick up your 2026 calendars at the SBHC pre-conference, your calendars will be mailed before the end of the year.
| | 2025 SBHC Directory Update & Survey | | Thank you for a successful 2025 Raffle! | | We have our raffle winners! Thank you to everyone that purchased tickets this year. We raised over $2,500 in the 2025 raffle. Your support is vital is helping SBHCs deliver health services to New Mexico's youth. | | Thank you to all our Raffle Donors! | | |
New Mexico School Health ECHO sessions have returned for 2025-2026. Sessions are on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at 12:00 PM MST.
December 2025 session:
December 9th
No session on Dec. 23rd
You can visit the iECHO for slides, videos, recordings and resources from past presentations.
After registering, you can view past content and get notifications for upcoming sessions.
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Thank you for attending the 2025 SBHC Pre-Conference & Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, November 4th at Hotel Andaluz.
NMASBHC was grateful to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the organization. We enjoyed seeing all the SBHC teams and community partners. We were also excited to celebrate the SBHC Champion and SBHC Legacy Awardees.
We hope you were inspired and able to take home some useful information and tools.
If you would like to see session slides, visit the NMASBHC Website HERE.
| | 2025 Head to Toe Conference Feedback | | |
November 4-6, 2025
Albuquerque Convention Center
Did you attend the main 2025 Head to Toe Conference at the Convention Center?
Your feedback is important to the planning committee.
Funded by New Mexico Health's Office of School and Adolescent Health and the New Mexico Public Education Department, Safe and Healthy Schools Bureau, this conference attracts more than 500 school health and behavioral health professionals, including school nurses, counselors, social workers and administrators, as well as school-based health center staff and advisory team members.
| | 2026 SBHA Conference - Call for Abstracts | | |
Community Violence Training -
Empowering Resilient Youth
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The University of Michigan - Michigan Medicine and Adolescent Health Initiative has shared a training module that explores community violence, trauma, trauma-informed care, youth engagement and youth-adult partnerships, and how school-based health centers can foster partnerships with youth to address community violence.
Access the Community Violence Training Module HERE.
| | NMASBHC Youth Advisory Group | | | | |
The Youth Health Advisory Group supports youth to advance health care access for their peers, share expertise on health-related topics and give important youth voice to the field of school-based health care. Participants will engage in activities and projects that can provide critical input to the development and delivery of services, and advocate for SBHC services across the state.
If you have youth that might be interested, please encourage them to apply and complete the application. For any questions, visit our website or contact Wilma at wilma@nmasbhc.org.
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NM Lions Operation KidSight &
SBHC Partnership Opportunity
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New Mexico Lions Operation KidSight, Inc. is a 501c3 organization, working to establish and maintain a sustainable program to provide annual eye screenings and follow-up eye exams and treatment, if needed, for all young children in New Mexico. The program also is working with local and national partners to provide additional avenues to help youth and families increase access to eye exams and glasses.
NMASBHC is partnering with the program to increase access for students and families served by their SBHCs. SBHCs can request a frames kit for the Spare Pair program to have in your site. This increases access to the frames that can be ordered through the program. If your SBHC is interested in participating in this program that provides free glasses to patients, please email Wilma at wilma@nmasbhc.org.
| | Operational Plans and Data Submission | | |
Operational Plans were due on September 30th. If there are any questions about OP Plans and Progress Reports, please contact Jamie (Jamie.Slama@doh.nm.gov).
If you have questions about NMDOH contractually required data submission, please communicate with Kristin Oreskovich at Kristin.Oreskovich@doh.nm.gov.
| | SBHCs and Education Outcomes, 2014-19 | | |
Apex has been working on a statewide study to analyze SBHC utilization and NM PED academic data. Results are available for the time period from 2014-2019. You can find this report and other past year reports on the NMASBHC website.
If you have any questions about the data, please communicate with Kristin Oreskovich at Kristin.Oreskovich@doh.nm.gov.
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The New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) and Medical Assistance Division (MAD) will be launching Turquoise Claims, a new Medicaid claims management system which will go-live in December.
Turquoise Claims will replace the current Medicaid claims management system (Omnicaid) and the NM Medicaid Provider Web Portal. You will find Turquoise Claims on the YES.NM.GOV website and log in to access the Provider/PED Enrollment system.
HCA plans to schedule demonstrations in local communities. Please check the website for updated information.
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NM Medicaid Presumptive Eligibility
Determiner Training
| | If you have staff that need the training, please contact HSD at the email address below to indicate the need to register for training. Contact at HSD.PEDeterminers@hca.nm.gov or call (505) 476-7151. | | Molina Office Hours for SBHCs | | |
To strengthen support for our School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs), Molina Healthcare of New Mexico’s Population Health team is launching dedicated monthly office hours, held on the last Friday of each month through December 2025.
These sessions offer a consistent space for SBHC providers and staff to share needs, ask questions and connect with key Molina contacts.
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Value Added Benefits are additional services or benefits that Managed Care Organization (MCO) offer for their members. It is important to communicate with your MCO for these services.
The flyer has a list of some of these benefits for SBHC Youth and their families.
| | | Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico Resources | | Are your patients feeling stressed, anxious or discouraged? Perhaps Learn to Live can offer support. | | Here are some patient education resources for birth control options. | | | | |
Are your patients returning after that quick sick visit?
Don't miss an opportunity to offer a comprehensive well care, even during a sick visit.
| | Clinic Resources, Training Opportunities and Community Announcements | | SBIRT Research Opportunity | | |
You are invited to participate in a research project entitled “A Pilot Evaluation of a Brief Web-Based Training Module on Adolescent SBIRT for Pediatric Primary Care Providers in New Mexico.”
This project is a pilot evaluation of a brief, web-based training designed to support pediatric health care providers in delivering Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) services for adolescents. The study will gather information from providers regarding their impressions of feasibility and satisfaction with the training webinar as well as its impact on provider knowledge, comprehension, and perceived competence in utilizing SBIRT clinical skills and techniques.
Participants will receive $100 for completing the study which should require approximately two hours of time. We would greatly appreciate your participation in the pilot study to help us gauge the usefulness and relevance of this training for pediatric health care providers in New Mexico.
If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please send an e-mail to SBIRTtraining@salud.unm.edu.
| | Free O-Pill for Clinics! | |
Bold Futures NM has been working on increasing access to over the counter birth control as part of the Free the Pill Coalition for many years.
As a result of this collaboration they have received their first bulk donation of OPill. They have both 1 month and 3 month packs available.
If your organization is interested in distributing OPill at no cost to patients, please email Rach Arrey (they/them) at rachel@boldfuturesnm.org.
Please include:
1) how many packs of OPill you are requesting,
2) what type (1 month or 3 month),
3) as well as your location , and
4) a sentence or two describing the communities that you serve
If you have further questions about the OPill for the students you serve please reach out to our adolescent health clinical consultant, Jen Robinson, Jen@nmasbhc.org. She is an excellent resource! Be on the lookout for a short webinar this fall going over all things OPill for SBHCs! Sign up for That Time of the Month to get updates on this training and more!
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Please share widely to help raise awareness about pathways for reporting prescription denials for short acting contraception!
Sign up for the NMASBHC mid-monthly reproductive and sexual health update, That Time of the Month! Each month you will get the latest and greatest updates, trainings opportunities, and resources direct from Jen to your inbox. Sign up here!
Upcoming Virtual Trainings
December 10, 2025 - 3pm-3:30pm
NMASBHC Learning Burst - What in the TikTok?
Register Here
December 11, 2025 - 12pm–1pm
CMP Virtual Event: IUD Pain Management
Register Here
January 8, 2026 - 12pm-1pm
CMP Virtual Event: Protecting Patient Privacy: Tips for Using the EHR and Beyond
Register Here
If you need immediate support or technical assistance regarding sexual and reproductive health care feel free to email me at Jen@nmasbhc.org.
| | Contraception Mentoring Program Trainings | | |
IUD and Nexplanon Trainings
December 11, 2025 - 12-1 PM MST
CMP Event: IUD Pain Management
Join us as we explore ways to integrate pain management techniques for IUD insertion into clinical practice.
Register Here
Please email Andrea Andersen at aanderse@salud.unm.edu to get connected with registration for an IUD and Nexplanon training or to request future training in your area.
| | School Professionals Oral Health Toolkit | | |
Child & Adolescent Mental Health
Trainings for Providers and Professionals
NM-ABC trainings are all free of charge, with CME/CEUs provided. NM-ABC is a partnership between the UNM Center for Development and Disability and the NM Department of Health. NM-ABC provides training, consultation and resources related to youth mental health for providers across New Mexico.
- Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
- Autism Spectrum Disorder: Screening and Interventions
- Youth Suicide: Screening and Safety Planning
- Non-Suicidal Self Injury: Screening and Interventions
- Helping Children and Youth Cope with Loss and Grief
- Adolescent Substance Use: Screening and Interventions
- Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents
- Depressive Disorders in Children and Adolescents
- Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care with Children and Youth
- Brief Intervention Techniques with Children and Youth
- ADHD Diagnosis and Management
- SSRIs and Pediatric Patients: Best Practices
- Youth Returning Home from Inpatient and Residential Stays: Bridging the Transition
- Tips from a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist: What Healthcare Providers Need to Know
For more information or to schedule a training, please contact NM-ABC program manager Amy Glass at aeglass@salud.unm.edu
| | | December Health Awareness Activities | | Support NMASBHC this year! | | | | |
