0001| SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 12
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0002| 43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003| INTRODUCED BY
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0004| DEDE FELDMAN
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0006|
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0007|
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0008| FOR THE HEALTH AND WELFARE REFORM COMMITTEE
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0009|
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0010| A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0011| REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO LEAD A STUDY OF THE
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0012| NEEDS FOR AND BEST METHODS OF PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE STATEWIDE
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0013| MENTAL HEALTH IN THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM.
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0014|
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0015| WHEREAS, New Mexico wants to support the academic needs
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0016| and educational success of our children; and
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0017| WHEREAS, school children face multiple barriers to
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0018| successful learning, including biological learning problems,
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0019| personal and family issues, a lack of coordinated and
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0020| accessible school and community assessment resources and
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0021| service programs and a lack of teacher training and resources;
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0022| and
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0023| WHEREAS, New Mexico ranks in the top fifteen states in
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0024| the rates of alcoholism, public school dropouts, domestic
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0025| violence, poverty and violent teen death; and
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0001| WHEREAS, children in our schools have need of multiple
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0002| mental health resources, as documented by both state and
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0003| national data showing that more than one-third of all children
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0004| seen in school-based health centers have primary mental health
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0005| needs; and
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0006| WHEREAS, students require an integrated continuum of
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0007| services, but children's outpatient mental health services in
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0008| New Mexico are scarce, lacking in coordination and difficult
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0009| to access; and
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0010| WHEREAS, over fifty percent of all children detained in
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0011| the juvenile justice system meet criteria for at least one
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0012| mental health diagnosis; and
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0013| WHEREAS, under the federal Individuals with Disabilities
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0014| Education Act, schools have clear responsibility to evaluate
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0015| students with behavioral health needs for disabilities and to
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0016| provide appropriate services; and
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0017| WHEREAS, the implementation of medicaid managed care
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0018| requires that schools take a more pivotal role, collaborating
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0019| with community providers to ensure quality behavioral health
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0020| services; and
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0021| WHEREAS, students face daily multiple life stresses, have
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0022| multiple mental health needs and require coordinated services
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0023| to break down barriers to learning in order to achieve success
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0024| in education;
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0025| NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0001| STATE OF NEW MEXICO that a task force be formed to study
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0002| programs and needs relevant to school mental health throughout
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0003| New Mexico and to propose solutions to these needs and options
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0004| to improve existing programs; and
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0005| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the office of school health
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0006| in the public health division of the department of health be
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0007| designated as the lead agency to organize the task force and
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0008| conduct the study; and
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0009| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force include
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0010| representatives from the department of health, the state
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0011| department of public education, the children, youth and
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0012| families department, the human services department, the
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0013| corrections department, the administrative office of the
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0014| courts, the children's subcommittee of the governor's mental
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0015| health planning council, the developmental disabilities
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0016| planning council, the Individuals with Disabilities Education
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0017| Act council and a wide range of consumers, advocates and
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0018| providers working in the mental health field and other
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0019| appropriate individuals and groups concerned about children's
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0020| mental health, including school personnel; and
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0021| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force's
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0022| recommendations include clarification of the responsibilities
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0023| and authority of each agency for providing programs and
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0024| assessment of and recommendations on information collected by
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0025| the agencies that may be helpful in improving school mental
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0001| health programs; and
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0002| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force study
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0003| financial resources from all governmental sources that
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0004| contribute to school mental health programs and whether these
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0005| resources can be used more efficiently in delivering the
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0006| needed programs; and
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0007| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include examination
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0008| and specific recommendations for both intra-agency and
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0009| interagency cooperation to ensure maximum cooperation in
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0010| providing school mental health programs; and
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0011| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include an
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0012| examination of and recommendations on increased training for
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0013| all school personnel, including teachers, counselors, nurses,
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0014| social workers, psychologists and others, as their work
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0015| relates to improving school mental health; and
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0016| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force report its
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0017| findings and recommendations by October 30, 1998 to the
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0018| interim legislative health and human services committee and
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0019| the legislative education study committee; and
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0020| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be
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0021| sent to the director of the office of school health of the
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0022| public health division of the department of health for
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0023| distribution to all appropriate parties.
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0024|
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