Community Services seeks additional youth behavioral health case manager; commissioners debate lead role on homelessness and permanent supportive housing

Santa Fe County's Community Services Department presented FY2026 priorities that keep services broadly intact, add a second youth behavioral‑health case manager and ask commissioners to consider county leadership on permanent supportive housing if municipal partners do not move forward.

Director Anne Ryan told commissioners the department is revenue-generating and manages a network of roughly 100 community providers. She said the FY2026 proposal is largely flat or reduced across most lines but includes two targeted increases: funding to support seniors (food costs, linen services, two new senior centers coming online) and one additional youth behavioral‑health case manager to continue a hospital‑to‑community handoff pilot that began in FY2025.

Why it matters: Coordinated case management of youth after emergency or inpatient behavioral‑health care reduces readmissions, improves continuity of care and connects families to services. Community Services leaders and commissioners also emphasized the county’s role in addressing chronic homelessness and permanent supportive housing.

Ryan said the first case manager — funded and placed this year to work with hospital partners such as CHRISTUS St. Vincent — has kept caseloads purposely small while the pilot model was tested. “If it is a currently provided service through the community services department or any of our 100 network providers, it will continue to be a funded service going into FY26,” Ryan said, adding that the second case manager will help avoid post‑discharge cliff effects.

Homelessness and housing: Commissioners pressed for a county role in permanent supportive housing. Commissioner Justin Green urged a proactive county-led project or partnership model modeled on “Gateway Center” or “Haven for Hope,” saying regional coordination — including Rio Arriba, Espanola and tribal partners — is necessary. Manager Schaeffer and Director Ryan said the county is pursuing grants and working closely with the city and state; they recommended continued coordination because city initiatives and jurisdictional placement matter for siting and operations.

Data and training: Several commissioners proposed investing in data analytics and trauma‑informed system redesign to make the county more competitive for incoming state funds for behavioral‑health system redesign. Director Ryan and Manager Schaeffer said the county is building a countywide data unit and could add analysts or contractual expertise if needed to support grant applications and cross‑department training.

What’s next: The department will proceed with the second case manager if included in the interim/final budget, continue pursuing state and federal grant opportunities and coordinate with housing and homelessness partners; commissioners asked staff to examine how the county could take a leadership role if city or regional leadership is not available.