A Note from the Executive Director | | |
Happy New Year! From the staff and Board at NMASBHC, we hope you had a restorative winter break and are looking forward to a wonderful 2026! There is much to celebrate for the school health field in the coming year.
In February we will celebrate national School-Based Health Care Awareness month. Would you like us to recognize a staff member or student's story in our February newsletter? Please reach out (see my email address below) to share!
NMASBHC continues its 25th anniversary celebration with special acknowledgements during the legislative session. To maximize policymakers’ awareness of the critical importance of school health, we need your help. NMASBHC’s SBHC Directory is still not complete; we need EVERY SBHC operator to submit your survey to update your operations. Please see the article below for guidance on how to complete the survey. The 2026 legislative session launches on 1/17/26, and we need to have that directory complete so your elected officials can find you on the map!!
We also need all of your updated information to inform you of exciting professional development and training resources and events we have planned for the coming year. Despite national and economic challenges, NMASBHC is moving forward with the support school health providers need to ensure that New Mexico’s students are health and ready to learn.
Wishing you strength and health to tackle 2026!
Nancy Rodriguez, nancy@nmasbhc.org
P.S. A special note of gratitude to all of those who reached out regarding the passing of school health champion Paula LeSueur. Your emails, calls and donations to her memorial fund are much appreciated. Her legacy will live on!
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The 2026 Calendar is here!
The 2026 NMASBHC Calendar cover features the SBHC staff from Region 9.
January 2026 features staff from Taos SBHC, sponsored by El Centro Family Health.
Thank you so much to all the SBHCs that submitted photos. If you haven't received a copy and wish to request one, please reach out to NMASBHC!
Special thanks to United Healthcare Community Plan for sponsoring this year's calendar.
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What professional development topics do you need to support your SBHC work in 2026?
2025 has come and gone, we just finished Head to Toe in November. When you think about educational content that would help you in your day-to-day work, what topics do you need? What would help you? Complete our very short survey to help us craft our 2026 opportunities.
Consider behavioral health, primary care, sexual and reproductive health, or other relevant topics. Your input will help shape professional development offerings in the coming year. While we cannot guarantee all topics will be covered, this feedback helps elevate requests coming from SBHCs across New Mexico.
Click Here to Complete Survey
| | 2025 SBHC Directory Update & Survey | | |
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.
January 2026 sessions:
January 13th
January 27th
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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Level 3 SBHC Planning & Special Project Funding
The FY27 Level 3 SBHC Planning and Special Projects grant application will open at the end of February. This opportunity supports medical sponsors ready to move planning or special project ideas forward in response to student and community needs. Full details will be shared soon. Sign up here to be alerted when the application opens.
SIGN UP
| | | | SBHA Care Coordination Project | | |
SBHA has been working with El Pueblo Family Health and Las Clinicas del Norte on a SBHC Care Coordination project. This project also entails a larger statewide collaborative effort to support and later expand care coordination efforts. The first gathering of the statewide collaborative was on December 22nd.
Thank you to Anchorum Health Foundation for hosting our group for this gathering.
Thank you to El Pueblo Family Health staff and to Las Clinicas del Norte staff for participating in this important initiative.
If you have any questions about this project, please contact Wilma at wilma@nmasbhc.org.
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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.
| | | 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. | | |
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 | | SBHC Bridges Gaps for Moriarty-Edgewood Students | | 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.
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NMDOH Nicotine Use and Control Program and Constellation Consulting are offering paid stipend opportunities to youth organizations for nicotine use prevention and control activities. For details, view the flyer.
For any questions, contact Emily Puffer at emily@constellationnm.com
| | 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!
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
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
| | | 1-833-SW Nurse - NMDOH Helpline | |
CALL: 1-833-SWNURSE (1-833-796-8773)
OR TEXT: NMDOH (66364)
New Mexicans can call or text the NMDOH helpline to speak to a nurse about:
- Health assistance
- Vaccine scheduling
- Help finding a provider
- Reproductive health services
- Animal bites, food-related illness, infectious disease
| | NM Together for Healthcare | | |
As we prepare for the NM Legislative session, organizations such as NM Together for Healthcare are working hard for our communities.
NM Together for Healthcare is a statewide, multiracial campaign of families and community organizations working together to strengthen healthcare access for all of New Mexico’s children and families. We work to advance affordable healthcare solutions for all New Mexicans and build a community-led movement to take part in healthcare policy decisions.
View their website for updates.
| | January Health Awareness Activities | | Support NMASBHC this year! | | | | |
