Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Plans Of Safe Care topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances amended bill to place plans of safe care under Department of Health
Summary
An amended House Bill (committee substitute) would make the Department of Health the lead agency for care coordination and plans of safe care for infants born substance‑exposed, establish care navigators and require prenatal planning; the committee adopted amendments and recommended the bill for do‑pass.
Representative Armstrong presented an amended House Bill (committee substitute) that reassigns lead responsibility for “plans of safe care” for substance‑exposed infants to the Department of Health (DOH), creates care navigators, and requires prenatal planning and coordination with home‑visiting programs and managed‑care organizations (MCOs).
Sponsor and agency witnesses said the change is intended to take a public‑health approach, emphasizing in‑person care coordination, weekly case reviews, and support to families so that child welfare involvement (CYFD) is a last resort. Gina DeBlassie (DOH secretary‑designate) and Teresa Casados (CYFD secretary) described the amended roles: DOH would provide care navigators and lead public‑health coordination while CYFD would remain responsible for child‑welfare investigations where infants are at risk.
The committee adopted several technical and programmatic amendments including explicit insertion of home‑visiting programs, training for hospital and prenatal providers on screening/brief intervention/referral‑to‑treatment (SBIRT), and conversion of some procedural language to rulemaking authority. The amendment was moved, seconded and adopted with no recorded opposition; the committee then recommended the substitute for a do‑pass.
Opponents were limited; one commenter (Micah Fitzani) argued for a health‑system focus without CYFD involvement, and urged a streamlined, single‑agency approach under the Health Care Authority (HCA). Supporters including New Mexico Child First Network and affected family members emphasized the need for coordinated, family‑centered services and the importance of prenatal planning.
