Santa Fe County OKs $960,000 contract for La Sala crisis triage center and mobile response team

The Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners on June 24 approved a one-year services agreement with Behavioral Healthcare Services Inc., doing business as New Mexico Solutions, to continue operation of the La Sala Crisis Triage Center and its mobile crisis response team.

The contract runs June 29, 2025, through June 29, 2026, and totals $960,000 inclusive of New Mexico gross receipts tax. Alex Dominguez, the county’s behavioral health program manager, told commissioners the funding is budgeted in the community services department and that New Mexico Solutions has steadily increased client interactions since 2021.

“Since the inception of the La Sala Triage Center and the accompanying mobile crisis response team, service levels have steadily increased,” Dominguez said, outlining that the center handled 650 client interactions in fiscal year 2022, 1,534 in FY23 and 2,320 in FY24. Kate Field, the center’s crisis services director, described the center’s role as an alternative to hospital emergency care and said staff provide psychiatric assessment, nursing, peer support and short-term medication management so patients can be bridged into ongoing community care.

The county presentation noted the center’s client mix: about 42% with a city address, 17% with a county address and 34% unhoused. Commissioners cited the program’s regional partnerships — with hospitals, the sheriff’s office, fire and rescue and other county entities — in supporting approval of the agreement.

The board voted to approve agreement 2025-0352CSD and delegated authority to the county manager to sign required purchase orders. Commissioner Kekari Stone moved for approval and Commissioner Justin Green seconded; the motion carried by voice vote.

County staff and New Mexico Solutions also described plans to enhance Medicaid enrollment assistance and to expand community-based treatment services for clients with severe, persistent mental illness, efforts county officials said are intended to reduce repeat crisis visits over time.

Commissioners and presenters said they remain concerned about workforce shortages for therapists and the risk of future Medicaid funding changes, but commissioners expressed support for continuing the contract as a core crisis service for the county.