HOUSE MEMORIAL 97

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2018

INTRODUCED BY

Gail Chasey

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF THE STATE MEDICAL INVESTIGATOR TO WORK WITH THE GRIEF RESOURCE CENTER AND OTHERS TO DEVELOP A FINANCIAL AND CARE PROPOSAL THAT INCLUDES CRITERIA NECESSARY TO MEET THE GRIEF COUNSELING NEEDS OF NEW MEXICO COMMUNITIES.

     WHEREAS, grief counseling following a tragic loss is a vital resource to New Mexico families; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico families, like other families across the country, benefit from grief counseling in times of loss and despair; and

     WHEREAS, various counseling centers in the state have recently closed their doors, leaving a serious void to fill in this area; and

     WHEREAS, the office of the state medical investigator at the university of New Mexico provides grief counseling but has also lost essential funding, and the office now has only one grief counselor available, along with an internship program that provides secondary support under the supervision of a licensed counselor; and

     WHEREAS, between 2014 and 2017, there were five hundred sixty homicides in New Mexico, and sixty-two percent of the families of those homicide victims sought intensive counseling services provided by the office of the state medical investigator; and

     WHEREAS, between 2014 and 2017, the office of the state medical investigator has recorded one thousand three hundred fifty suicides and four thousand six hundred sixty-seven accidental deaths, and the office has been unable to provide services to the families of those victims due to the shortage of counselors; and

     WHEREAS, the grief counseling community, such as the grief resource center, recognizes the need to collaborate with the office of the state medical investigator to maximize grief counseling resources for families and individuals that have experienced the death of loved ones; and

     WHEREAS, these collaborative efforts also provide training to first responders, funeral directors and hospice personnel so they may also better serve the grief community; and

     WHEREAS, it is imperative to the health and social welfare of New Mexicans that proper resources and funding be committed to grief counseling in the state;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the office of the state medical investigator be requested to work with the grief resource center and all other relevant stakeholders to develop a financial and care proposal that includes the criteria that are necessary to meet the grief counseling needs of New Mexico communities; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the office of the state medical investigator be requested to report its findings to the interim legislative health and human services committee by November 1, 2018; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the office of the state medical investigator and the grief resource center.

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