HOUSE MEMORIAL 52

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2010

INTRODUCED BY

Danice Picraux

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ESTABLISH A TASK FORCE TO ASSESS THE BENEFITS OF UTILIZING MY COMMUNITY NM AS THE STATE'S COMPREHENSIVE, BILINGUAL INVENTORY OF RESOURCES FOR UNDERSERVED NEW MEXICANS.

     WHEREAS, many New Mexico organizations maintain resource inventories to serve their constituencies; and

     WHEREAS, the multiple efforts to collect and maintain resource information is costly in dollars and staff time; and

     WHEREAS, duplicative efforts have produced many underfunded, incomplete and out-of-date inventories; and

     WHEREAS, My Community NM is the state's only bilingual, interagency, on-line resource inventory; and

     WHEREAS, My Community NM has been developed by a number of nonprofit organizations to reduce the cost and improve the quality of the information they provide to their constituencies; and

     WHEREAS, My Community NM currently serves a wide range of nonprofit organizations providing services to New Mexicans, including four community health councils funded by the department of health, the office of the governor's council on women's health, the New Mexico coalition to end homelessness, the Kiwanis club of Albuquerque, the university of New Mexico health sciences center office of community affairs and pathways program, la plaza de encuentro and la comunidad habla; and

     WHEREAS, My Community NM has resulted in a cost-effective, flexible, consumer-friendly system that is accessible to English- and Spanish-speakers with very limited computer literacy skills; and

     WHEREAS, My Community NM collects the wide range of resource information needed by at-risk New Mexicans, including health, social services, food, income support, transportation, legal, education and job-training resources; and

     WHEREAS, the department of health currently supports a number of community initiatives, such as county- and tribal-based community health planning councils, which have the task of collecting and distributing resource information that at-risk New Mexicans need; and

     WHEREAS, My Community NM can be used by individual community members and by members of the health care delivery system, most notably community health workers; community health representatives; and promotoras, who help underserved individuals and families identify and access health and human services;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the department of health be requested to establish a task force to assess the benefits of the possibility of using My Community NM as the state's comprehensive, bilingual inventory of resources for underserved New Mexicans; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force include representatives from the following organizations: the children, youth and families department; the Indian affairs department; the office of the governor's council on women's health; the New Mexico coalition to end homelessness; the Bernalillo county community health council youth coalition initiative; the Bernalillo county community health council; the children's cabinet; la comunidad habla; the Kiwanis club of Albuquerque; la plaza de encuentro; the Sandoval county community health alliance; the Sierra health council; southwest creations collaborative; the university of New Mexico health sciences center office of community affairs and pathways program; and the Valencia community partnership; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be requested to assess the potential of My Community NM in the following respects:

          A. its use as a statewide resource inventory, including the inventory's direct and indirect cost savings, its greater resource information and its accessibility by at-risk populations with low computer literacy skills; and

          B. its ability to provide users with the opportunity to make regular resource information updates; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force consider potential financing mechanisms for My Community NM; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the lieutenant governor; the secretary of children, youth and families; the secretary of Indian affairs; the executive director of the office of the governor's council on women's health; the executive director of the New Mexico coalition to end homelessness; the Bernalillo county community health council youth coalition coordinator; the coordinator of the Bernalillo county community health council; the director of la comunidad habla; the president of the Kiwanis club of Albuquerque; the director of la plaza de encuentro; the executive administrator of the Sandoval county community health alliance; the chair of the board of the Sierra health council; the president of the board of southwest creations collaborative; the director of the office of community affairs at the university of New Mexico health sciences center; and the coordinator of the Valencia community partnership.