HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 8

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2012

INTRODUCED BY

Rodolpho “Rudy” S. Martinez

FOR THE MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE VETERANS' SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO WORK WITH THE INTERAGENCY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PURCHASING COLLABORATIVE, THE NEW MEXICO VETERANS AFFAIRS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, THE LAS CRUCES VET CENTER, THE SILVER CITY COMMUNITY BASED OUTPATIENT CLINIC, VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA CHAPTER 358 AND OTHER NECESSARY ORGANIZATIONS TO STUDY THE UNMET BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND PRIMARY HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF VETERANS IN SOUTHWESTERN NEW MEXICO.

     WHEREAS, veterans have fought to defend the country and deserve to be treated with the best health care possible; and

     WHEREAS, state and federal governments have not provided sufficient services to provide the necessary behavioral health and primary care needs of veterans; and

     WHEREAS, in the 1980s, local veterans, realizing that they were suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and finding local veterans' services scarce, formed a group to support one another; and

     WHEREAS, the number of veterans wanting to participate outgrew the capacity and capability of the group; and

     WHEREAS, in the 1990s, Vietnam veterans from Grant county created their own chapter of the Vietnam veterans of America, Chapter 358, to provide support for local veterans; and

     WHEREAS, Vietnam veterans of America Chapter 358 has been working tirelessly, day after day, to provide support and assistance to the local veterans in Grant county; and

     WHEREAS, Vietnam veterans of America Chapter 358 worked with the local community to develop a federal veterans' center in Grant county; however, the center was placed in Las Cruces; and

     WHEREAS, a social worker from the Las Cruces vet center serves the Grant county area once per week, serving approximately seventy veterans in three different groups; and

     WHEREAS, primary health care funds from the United States department of veterans affairs are depleted within the first quarter of each year; and

     WHEREAS, there is a gap in comprehensive, reliable, consistent data for planning the support that is necessary for veterans in the Grant county area;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the veterans' services department be requested to collaborate with the interagency behavioral health purchasing collaborative, the New Mexico veterans affairs health care system, the Las Cruces vet center, the Silver City community based outpatient clinic, Vietnam veterans of America Chapter 358 and other necessary organizations to study the unmet behavioral health and primary health care needs of veterans in southwestern New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that findings of the study be reported to the legislative military and veterans' affairs committee on or before November 1, 2012; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that an action plan be developed, following the report to the military and veterans' affairs committee, that will promote an increase in veterans' services in the Grant county area; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of veterans' services.

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