HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 37

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2009

INTRODUCED BY

Danice Picraux

FOR THE LEGISLATIVE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE CHILDREN'S CABINET TO APPOINT A TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO EVALUATE, IMPROVE AND EXPAND THE SANDOVAL COUNTY FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM TO SERVE MORE WOMEN AND CHILDREN UTILIZING THE WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN PROGRAM AND TO BRING THE FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM TO OTHER WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN PROGRAM SITES IN NEW MEXICO.

      WHEREAS, the Sandoval county family support program is an interagency model for the delivery of health and social services operating at the Sandoval county health commons; and

     WHEREAS, the Sandoval county family support program services are oriented to prevention and are family- and relationship-based while being responsive to individual needs; and

     WHEREAS, the Sandoval county family support program conducts screenings and assessments regarding needs for social supports, chronic diseases, maternal mental health, parent and child relationships, child development, health literacy trainings and more; and

     WHEREAS, the inappropriate use of health care services for preschool children enrolled in medicaid costs millions of dollars annually, and research has shown that low-cost health literacy trainings can substantially reduce medicaid costs, lost work and lost school days; and

     WHEREAS, the women, infants and children program is the entry point for many clients accessing these screenings and services; and

     WHEREAS, the women, infants and children program safeguards the health of low-income women, infants and children up to the age of five who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritional foods, information on healthy eating and referrals to health care providers; and

     WHEREAS, at one hundred ten clinic sites around the state, the women, infants and children program served more than one hundred twelve thousand New Mexicans and provided over seven hundred thousand monthly food benefit packages in 2008; and

     WHEREAS, women, infants and children program visits offer many opportunities to positively impact healthy behaviors as families visit these program sites once every one or two months and often for many years; and

     WHEREAS, the department of health estimates that sixty percent of babies born in New Mexico are seen by the women, infants and children program, including virtually all pregnant women and babies who live in poverty; and

     WHEREAS, the Sandoval county health commons family support program has been offering expanded prevention and early intervention services to women, infants and children program recipients since 2002 through the use of community health workers and other public health staff; and

     WHEREAS, enriched programming available through the Sandoval county family support program is leading to wider use of these services and screenings in the community; and

     WHEREAS, families visiting women, infants and children program sites would benefit from the expanded array of services and screenings offered by the Sandoval county family support program;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the children's cabinet be requested to appoint a task force to develop strategies to evaluate, improve and expand the Sandoval county family support program to serve more women and children utilizing the women, infants and children program sites throughout New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force include representation from a network of individuals with expertise in early childhood development, the Sandoval county family support program, the women, infants and children program, individuals with expertise in children's health, social and emotional needs, researchers in early childhood development, maternal and infant mental health, the department of health and others; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force include representation from family members that reflects the cultural, ethnic, economic and geographic composition of New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the findings and recommendations of the task force address return-on-investment priorities, service delivery models, coordination with other necessary partners and a continuum of services to be included; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the findings and recommendations of the task force be presented to the legislative health and human services committee by November 1, 2009; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the children's cabinet.

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