44th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2000

REQUESTING THE CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT TO MEET WITH TAOS PUEBLO OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF ENTERING INTO A JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE LICENSED FOSTER CARE AND TREATMENT FOSTER CARE HOMES ON TAOS PUEBLO.

WHEREAS, the development of "culturally sensitive" mental health services for "special needs" children and youth in New Mexico has been characterized by limited opportunity and fraught with uncertainty; and

WHEREAS, state funding sources have historically given mental health providers an "opportunity" to select from a limited array of choices, most of which do not take culture, race or ethnicity into account; and

WHEREAS, managed care organizations should accommodate ongoing training in cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity and cultural competence; and

WHEREAS, in addition to a lack of cultural awareness, many state legislative mental health and social service mandates seemingly do not include a system of fiscal accountability for public sector, state-run behavioral health care agencies; and

WHEREAS, when different managed care providers carve out separate plans and benefits for different types of clients, such as foster care and treatment foster care, the administrative costs associated with carving out plans and requesting reimbursement from different managed care entities are often cost-prohibitive; and

WHEREAS, problems of cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity, cultural competence, fiscal accountability and excessive administrative costs prohibit communities from providing necessary mental health services, such as foster care and treatment foster care, to "special needs" children in New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, Taos pueblo is in desperate need of licensed foster care and licensed treatment foster care homes on the reservation; and

WHEREAS, treatment foster care and foster care program providers are currently committed to helping Taos pueblo social services explore this possibility;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the children, youth and families department be requested to meet with Taos pueblo officials to discuss the possibility of entering into a joint powers agreement so that the pueblo receives Title IV-E funds for foster care and treatment foster care programming; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of children, youth and families and to Taos pueblo officials.