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A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF A STATEWIDE

DATABASE OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND

ANGER MANAGEMENT COUNSELING AND TREATMENT PROGRAMS.

WHEREAS, substance abuse treatment and prevention

programs are spread throughout the state; and

WHEREAS, the spectrum of substance abuse programs runs

the gamut from drug addiction to alcohol treatment and from

prevention to crisis management; and

WHEREAS, the need for substance abuse programs often

presents itself as urgent when a person is in need of

intervention or treatment; and

WHEREAS, finding help in a substance abuse program often

requires a waiting period; and

WHEREAS, in New Mexico, there is a system of substance

abuse and treatment programs that is difficult to navigate,

making it difficult to coordinate an available treatment slot

with an appropriate location; and

WHEREAS, responsibility and accountability for domestic

violence programs are similarly spread across agencies and

throughout the state and, therefore, programs are difficult to

access; and

WHEREAS, anger management and counseling are critically

important to reducing violence and improving the viability of

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New Mexico families;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the human

services department and the department of health be requested

to coordinate their staff and make efforts to create a

database of substance abuse programs and domestic violence and

anger management counseling and treatment programs and make it

available to providers, health and psychological professionals

and others who may need to refer clients for treatment; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the database and an

inventory of all substance abuse programs be continuously

updated and maintained; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a representative of the

human services department and a representative of the

department of health provide an update to the legislative

health and human services committee during the 2008 interim on

the departments' efforts to create and maintain such a

database; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be

transmitted to the secretary of human services, the secretary

of health, the New Mexico medical society and the chair of the

legislative health and human services committee.