New Mexico
New Mexico suicide prevention plans and initiatives
New Mexico’s Suicide Prevention Program is housed within the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDH). In its 2020-2022 State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), NMDH identifies suicide as a key ”Substance Use & Mental Health” issue and outlines planning efforts with three statewide goals: (1) develop a statewide suicide prevention plan; (2) increase the number of suicide gatekeepers, and; (3) increase secondary prevention of suicide through emergency departments (pp. 17-18).
In 2011 New Mexico law established a statewide Clearinghouse for Native American Suicide Prevention to provide culturally appropriate suicide prevention, intervention and post-event assistance and culturally based Native American youth suicide prevention initiatives (NMSA § 9-7-6.7). The law also establishes an Advisory Council to assist in developing policies, rules, and priorities for the Clearinghouse (NMSA § 9-7-11.5). New Mexico has also been releasing constant reports, such as the Youth suicide rates decline in New Mexico in 2022 and a report outing how every citizen can play a part in suicide prevention. Lastly, New Mexico recently enacted S.B. 273, a bill that requires group health plans, health maintenance organizations, and nonprofit health care plans to cover all mental health or substance use disorder services required by generally recognized standards of care.
New Mexico laws
Key:
- Required by law
- Encouraged by law
- No law in place
Crisis lines and 988 implementation
- Addresses 988 infrastructure and provides for telecom user fee
- Addresses 988 infrastructure but does not include telecom user fee
- 988 law limited to creating an exploratory commission, advisory committee, or task force
Mental health parity
- Public health plans (e.g., Medicaid) regularly submit parity compliance analyses to state regulators
- Private health plans (individual and group) regularly submit parity compliance analyses to state regulators
K – 12 school suicide prevention
- Inclusion of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and/or other crisis line(s) on student ID cards
- Student allowances for excused mental health absences
- School personnel must report student suicide risk to a parent and/or guardian
- Suicide prevention and/or mental health training for certain school personnel, annual
- Suicide prevention and/or mental health training for certain school personnel, not annual
- Suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention policies/programming
- Student education on suicide prevention
Health professional training in suicide assessment, treatment and management
- Mental health professionals receive regular training
- Mental health professionals receive one time training
- Medical/surgical professionals receive regular training
- Medical/surgical professionals receive one time training
Conversion therapy bans
- Prohibits licensed/board certified mental health providers from engaging in conversion therapy with minors under 18 years of age
- Prohibits licensed/board certified mental health providers from engaging in conversion therapy with vulnerable adults
- Prohibits use of state funds for any purpose related to conversion therapy (e.g., conducting, making a referral for, or extending health benefits coverage for)
University and college campus suicide prevention
- Inclusion of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and/or other crisis line(s) on student ID cards
- Students receive information on available mental health and/or suicide prevention services and/or resources
- Adoption of suicide prevention/awareness policy or program