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Opioid Remediation Collaborative outlines regional plan, urges outpatient and mobile crisis services as Grant County joins
Summary
A contractor with the Opioid Remediation Collaborative told the Grant County commission that rural counties should prioritize outpatient care, 24/7 navigation and mobile crisis teams rather than a costly crisis center; she said SB3 early funding applications for a mobile crisis unit and social rehabilitation services were accepted.
Miss Hartley, a contractor with the Opioid Remediation Collaborative (ORC), told Grant County commissioners on Feb. 10 that a decade-long push for a local crisis-trigger center (CTC) is unlikely to be sustainable in rural New Mexico and recommended focusing on outpatient services and a 24/7 navigation system.
The ORC presentation laid out a regional assessment of Hidalgo, Grant and Luna counties that used five focus groups, site visits, floor-plan reviews and quantitative analysis of past reports. "CTC doesn't really have legs," Miss Hartley said, citing licensing, 24/7 staffing and the need for medical providers as limits on the model in sparsely populated areas.
Instead, she recommended expanding intensive outpatient options, peer‑specialist navigation and drop‑in centers that reduce stigma. The ORC is advising counties on how to use opioid‑settlement funds collectively to increase purchasing power and technical capacity. "A system that is responsive when somebody calls — somebody picks up — it happens 24/7," she said, describing a navigation service that follows a caller until they receive needed care.
Miss Hartley also described ties to the 988 crisis line and early SB3 grant activity. She said the ORC submitted two early funding applications under Senate Bill 3 — one for a mobile crisis team for Grant County and one for social rehabilitation services in Hidalgo County — and had received notice that those applications were accepted for next steps. The SB3 process allows each region to nominate two priorities, each approximately worth $1 million, she said.
Commissioners asked how providers and residents can participate. Commissioner Stevens said several providers had asked how to give input and Miss Hartley pointed to both the SB3-required listening sessions and local county listening sessions that will be scheduled in each county. The commission discussed using the Tu Casa facility as a shared base for multiple outpatient providers and for a mobile crisis team to operate from, and Miss Hartley said the early‑funding application would support startup salaries and program deliverables aimed at moving to 24/7 services within 18 months.
The presentation included local 988-call volume for October through December 2025; Miss Hartley said the pattern of calls and the rate of escalation to clinical staff are the metrics the ORC will track as services scale. She also described ORC training resources (an online library and upcoming CME‑certified modules), youth prevention work and a companion recovery app with a peer specialist available around the clock.
The commission did not take formal action at the meeting but signaled support for public engagement and for coordinating listening sessions to align SB3 requirements with local input. The board agreed to schedule follow‑up sessions and to consider the ORC's recommendations as staff and partners work through SB3 deadlines.
