Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act - Region One graphic

Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act (BHRIA)

This webpage is intended to serve as an informational access point for people interested in the State’s Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act rollout, and in particular related happenings at the regional level.

State Status

During the 2025 Legislative Session, the State of New Mexico enacted the  Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act (BHRIA) which officially took effect on June 20, 2025.

Since that time, the State’s Administrative Office of the Courts and the State’s Health Care Authority have been working to develop a regional approach to statewide behavioral health reform under the oversight of a statewide Behavioral Health Executive Committee which, among other things, has designated regions according to judicial districts.

The State’s Executive Committee has also adopted a specific approach to commence in the fall of FY26 as outlined in this State letter addressed to County Managers and Tribal Leaders. A copy of our region’s response can be found here.

Regional Status

Our State-determined Behavioral Health Region One (BHR1) includes the following 14 unique, separate, and distinct governments, with Santa Fe County serving as the region’s initial lead entity:

  1. Jicarilla Apache Nation
  2. Ohkay Owingeh
  3. Pueblo of Santa Clara
  4. Pueblo de San Ildefonso
  5. Pueblo of Nambe
  6. Pueblo of Pojoaque
  7. Pueblo of Tesuque
  8. County of Los Alamos
  9. County of Rio Arriba
  10. County of Santa Fe
  11. City of Espanola
  12. City of Santa Fe
  13. Town of Edgewood
  14. Village of Chama

The required actions outlined in the State letter to County Managers and Tribal Leaders include:

  1. Development of a regional a planning committee for Stakeholder Workshops to identify the region’s top behavioral health priorities;
  2. Participation in Listening Sessions to garner feedback on those identified priorities;
  3. Development of a Regional Behavioral Health Plan approved at the local and state level not later than June 30, 2026.

Once this occurs, the region may apply for State behavioral health funds under the Act in accordance with its approved regional behavioral health plan.

BHR1 planning committee members are recommended and selected by the region's core team, which is a team comprised of a First Judicial District Court representative in addition to those designated by their respective County or Tribal leaders who provided a formal letter of support for this State-driven process. 

The workshops will be facilitated by UNM’s Health Sciences Center and cannot include more than 100 participants and must be in person. This means that there will be stakeholders unable to attend but who can otherwise participate in the listening sessions that will be facilitated by the New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils. There may be additional seats that become available for the workshop after all invitees have responded to the RSVP. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, please reach out here.

Since BHR1 recently completed similar workshops specific to adults, our region’s workshop under BHRIA is scheduled for December 18 and 19, 2025 and will be specific to youth with participants selected accordingly and as representative as possible, all things considered. Behavioral health priorities identified from these workshops will be posted to this site for the public to view and consider in advance of the Listening Sessions.

Listening Sessions will then invite feedback on the identified priorities, and we will make every effort to get the word out far and wide within the region. Listening sessions will occur remotely and are open to any and all interested parties within our State-designated region. Listening sessions will include youth-specific breakout “rooms” co-facilitated by a youth-specific provider, and we’re working on making available select Senior Centers to help ensure additional participation access. Dates and times for BHR1 listening sessions are below. Registration is required by the Alliance and links to register will be added within the near term.

  • January 12, 2026 @ Noon
  • January 14, 2026 @ Noon
  • January 15, 2026 @ Noon

Additional Stakeholder Participation Opportunities

In our ongoing effort to ensure ample opportunities for stakeholder engagement in the development of a regional plan, the planning group invites interested parties to virtually join any or all of the meetings scheduled below (with links to be added as each date nears): 

  • January 6, 2026 @ noon
  • February 3, 2026 @ noon
  • March 3, 2026 @ noon
  • April 7, 2026 @ noon
  • May 5, 2026 @ noon
  • June 2, 2026 @ noon

Learning More

Please remember that this State-determined model and methodology is an evolving process that will develop over time. Should you wish to learn more, please visit all of the hyperlinks contained on this page. For BHR1 folks who have additional questions, please feel free to reach out here.