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Health Care Authority and AOC outline SB3 regional behavioral-health rollout and $26M early-access funding
Summary
Health Care Authority and the Administrative Office of the Courts told legislators they will decentralize behavioral-health planning into 13 regions under Senate Bill 3, with early-access funding of up to $26 million (up to $2M/region) released to address urgent access gaps; regions must form accountable entities and submit regional plans under a tight timeline.
State agencies briefed lawmakers on implementing Senate Bill 3, the Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act, emphasizing regional planning, community engagement and an early-access funding round to address critical access gaps.
Christie Brooks of the Health Care Authority said SB3 establishes a regional approach in which 13 behavioral‑health regions — mirroring judicial districts — will develop local plans that identify priorities and gaps. "This is really looking at a regional approach to behavioral health," Brooks said. She outlined milestones including development of behavioral health service standards, a behavioral health executive committee to review plans, and a universal behavioral‑health provider credentialing process targeted to go live March 1, 2026.
Brooks said the Health Care Authority issued a notice of funding opportunity to distribute up to $26,000,000 in early-access funds (up to $2,000,000 per region) drawn from a $50,000,000 pot that expires in FY27; the early funding targets four critical access areas specified in the legislation, including the residential treatment continuum, crisis continuum of care, MAT for justice‑involved individuals, and prenatal/perinatal SUD treatment.
Esperanza Lucero of the Administrative Office of the Courts described the AOC’s role in regional planning: accountable entities (counties or quasi‑government leads) must identify stakeholder committees, host listening sessions and convene multi‑day workshops facilitated by UNM Health Sciences Center. Lucero said 12 of 13 accountable‑entity applications have been received and that technical assistance (an ECHO collaborative, consultants, and a UNM facilitation team) is available to regions.
Lawmakers stressed equity, tribal consultation and youth involvement. Senator Antoinette Cedillo Lopez and others asked that regions specifically include attention to disproportionately impacted groups — including tribal nations, LGBTQIA+ communities, immigrant communities and people with disabilities — and asked that tribal consultation inform funding weights and plan review. Presenters said the funding formula is draft, tribal consultation is scheduled, and the executive committee will score and review plans before plans are posted publicly.
What comes next: accountable entities will convene listening sessions and workshops through early 2026, submit regional plans for executive‑committee review, and may apply for early‑access awards on a tight December–January schedule. Agencies promised to post materials and workshop dates and to share the LFC MAT brief with accountable entities to inform planning.
