Project Grant SM063538

THE DONA ANA COUNTY ASSISTED OUTPATIENT TREATMENT (DAC AOT) PROGRAM IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AMONG THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, JUDICIAL SYSTEM LEADERS, TREATMENT PROVIDERS, THE LOCAL UNIVERSITY, AND CONSUMERS. DONA ANA COUNTY IS THE IDEAL SIZE TO PILOT AN AOT PROGRAM. AS A RESULT OF 2016 STATE LEGISLATION, FOR THE FIRST TIME COURTS IN NEW MEXICO CAN PARTICIPATE IN AOT PROGRAMS. FOCUSING ON PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED TWO OR MORE TIMES IN THE MOST RECENT TWO YEARS, OR HAVE REPEATED INTERACTION WITH THE COURTS AS A RESULT OF A MENTAL ILLNESS, IT IS ANTICIPATED THE PROGRAM WILL SERVE 30 TO 40 PEOPLE A YEAR, FOR A MINIMUM OF 150 PEOPLE AFTER FOUR YEARS. THE PROGRAM WILL FORMALIZE THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG THE COUNTY, COURT, TREATMENT PROVIDERS, AND THE EVALUATOR TO CREATE A PROCESS FOR IDENTIFYING PARTICIPANTS, HOLDING HEARINGS, ACCESSING TREATMENT, AND MONITORING PROGRESS. IT IS ANTICIPATED TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HOSPITAL READMISSIONS AND CIVIL INPATIENT COMMITMENTS, WHILE ENHANCING AVAILABLE INTENSIVE TREATMENT SERVICES AND QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS; ULTIMATELY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT THE DETENTION CENTER WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSES. THE DIVERSITY OF OUR COUNTY IS A UNIQUE STRENGTH, VALUED HIGHLY BY THE COMMUNITY BUT ALSO ENGENDERS OFTEN-STARK CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WAY MENTAL HEALTH AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ARE CONCEPTUALIZED AND HANDLED. SITUATED IN THE SOUTHERNMOST PART OF NEW MEXICO AND SHARING 64 MILES OF BORDER WITH MEXICO, THE COUNTY HAD AN ESTIMATED POPULATION OF 214,178 IN 2014, MUCH OF WHICH IS DISPERSED AMONG RURAL COMMUNITIES. MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS (66%) IDENTIFY AS HISPANIC OR LATINO, ONE OF THE HIGHEST PROPORTIONS IN THE U.S., AND 17.1% ARE FOREIGN-BORN. ANOTHER FACTOR AFFECTING THE COUNTY IS THE PROXIMITY TO SEVERAL MILITARY BASES, WITH A POPULATION OF NEARLY 5,000, AND A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY WITH ENROLLMENT OF NEARLY 18,000.