Our directory is far more than a list of service organizations. It is also a way to assess our county’s capacity to meet the needs of all residents. Our 100% New Mexico initiative is working to remove barriers to services and increase access to every community within the county’s borders.

The directory is always a work in progress as resources change. As you read the directory, note that we are a county of around 38,921 people, with many living in or near the main hub in the city of Española, population of 10,102.

HOW WE COLLECTED INFORMATION ON SERVICES

We respect that services may change based on many factors, so we called each service agency to double check each service. To be listed on the directory, emails and phone calls went out to individual organizations and a response was required from staff to confirm service details.

GUIDELINES FOR BEING LISTED

1. A phone conversation between a service representative and directory staffer was required.
2. Services were either free, offered with a sliding scale or a process was in place to support financial assistance.
3. The service’s phone had a voicemail that provided information about the agency and services offered.
4. Service staff responded within a week to a request for information via phone.
5. Service staff understand that not all residents have access to the internet. 
6. Services follow all state protocols, when applicable, for licensing and staff accreditation.

Service organizations understand that the 100% Family Services Directory Project is part of a countywide process to gather information on local services and share client feedback in order to improve services. The goal of the directory project is to list as many local family-friendly services as possible. Providers are encouraged to reach out to the local directory staffers to maintain an up-to-date and accurate listing of vital services. Organizations based outside the county providing local services within the county are welcome to be listed. If we missed any service or have inaccurate service descriptions, please contact us. Working together, we can not only link residents to services, but ensure the services are accessible in a timely manner.

THE QUESTION

The most important question to consider as you review all ten services sectors is: do we have enough services to help 100% of families create healthy and self-sufficient households? 

We reference the 100% New Mexico Rio Arriba county survey throughout this page and you can download it here: https://annaageeight.nmsu.edu/index.html 

RATING SERVICES

The directory allows users to rate each service organization in a variety of categories and can reveal barriers to services such as cost or unfriendly hours. To submit a rating, users need to include at least a few words to put their rating in context. Users may also comment more extensively if they wish. All submissions are read by the local directory team before being published. Feedback from residents becomes part of the overall assessment process.

Currently we are asking residents to rate the following areas related to services:

• Cleanliness of facilities
• Easy access to transportation
• Affordability
• User-friendly hours
• Friendly staff
• Short wait times
• Staff helpful in referring resident to other service organizations
• A safe environment
• Description of service on directory is accurate

SOLUTIONS ABOUND

The Anna, Age Eight Institute offers ideas for reducing barriers to services in all ten service areas, called the services for surviving and thriving.

10 VITAL SERVICES

Please note that services are subject to change. Please update us with changes.

Medical/Dental Care

We list approximately 8 service organizations under “medical care.” Two dental offices are also based in Rio Arriba. An area of concern is focused on the capacity of the county’s providers to respond to an unpredictable pandemic, as well as high rates of substance use disorder related illness and injury. 

In our countywide survey, residents reported the following barriers to accessing medical and dental care:

• Costs too much
• Wait list is too long
• No insurance coverage
• I can’t find a provider
• Appointment times don’t work for me
• It’s too far to travel
• I don’t have reliable transportation
• I feel bad and/or worried about going
• I don’t don’t know where to get this service
• They don’t speak my language

Opportunities to exploring reducing barriers to services include strengthening: 

• Urgent Care
• Nighttime Care 
• Weekend Care
• Transportation to health care
• Medical care at all school sites serving students and families
• Telemedicine for residents (addressing digital divide to ensure access)
• Telemedicine (professional mentoring, support) for providers

Behavioral Health Care

We list approximately 6 service organizations under “behavioral health care.” We only list providers who are licensed in the state of New Mexico. An area of concern is focused on the capacity of the county’s providers to respond to potentially high levels of substance use disorders, depression, anxiety and adverse childhood experiences due to the lockdown and potential joblessness.

In our countywide survey, residents reported the following barriers to accessing behavioral health care:

• Wait list is too long
• Costs too much
• I can’t find a provider
• It’s too far to travel
• I feel bad and/or worried about going
• No insurance coverage
• I don’t know where to get this service
• I don’t have reliable transportation
• Appointment times don’t work for me
• They don’t speak my language

Opportunities to explore reducing barriers to services include strengthening: 

• Urgent Behavioral Health Care
• Nighttime Behavioral Health Care 
• Weekend Behavioral Health Care
• Transportation to behavioral health care
• Behavioral healthcare at all school sites serving students and families
• Telemedicine for residents (addressing digital divide to ensure access)
• Telemedicine (professional mentoring, support) for providers

Food Security Programs

We list approximately 3 service organizations under “food.” Does this seem like enough to serve a county population of 40,000, many of whom might benefit from food security programs? Some services are exclusively for elders. High rates of joblessness may result in a higher need for food security programs.

In our countywide survey, residents reported the following barriers to accessing food security:

• I was told I don’t qualify
• It’s too far to travel
• I feel bad and/or worried about going
• Wait list is too long
• I don’t qualify
• I don’t have reliable transportation
• I don’t don’t know where to get this service
• Appointment times don’t work for me
• They don’t speak my language

Opportunities to explore reducing barriers to services include strengthening: 

• Expanded hours for weekday food pantries
• Expanded nighttime access to food pantries
• Expanded weekend access to food pantries
• Transportation to food security programs
• Food pantries at all school sites serving students and families
• Web-based support for food security program providers 

Housing Security Programs

We list approximately 3 service organizations under “housing” that include two nursing homes. High rates of joblessness may result in a higher need for housing security programs and low income housing.

In our countywide survey, residents reported the following barriers to accessing housing security programs:

• Wait list is too long
• I was told I don’t qualify
• I don’t don’t know where to get this service
• I don’t have reliable transportation
• It’s too far to travel
• I feel bad and/or worried about going
• Appointment times don’t work for me
• I don’t qualify
• They don’t speak my language

Opportunities to explore reducing barriers to services include strengthening: 

• Expanded nighttime access to housing security programs
• Expanded weekend access to housing security programs
• Transportation to housing security programs programs
• Navigators at all school sites to direct families to housing security programs
• Web-based support for residents (addressing digital divide to ensure access)
• Web-based support for housing security program providers
• Domestic violence shelter and rapid rehousing program
• Homeless shelter and rapid rehousing for high risk populations 

Transportation Programs

We list approximately 2 service organizations under “transportation” that include the school bus system for students. We know from our surveys that lack of transportation is a barrier to accessing vital services. 

In our countywide survey, residents reported the following barriers to accessing transportation:

• Public transportation doesn’t run during the times I need it
• Public transportation doesn’t go where I need to go
• It takes too long to use public transportation
• It doesn’t come where I live
• It’s too far to walk to the bus stop
• It isn’t safe
• I don’t know where to get this service
• Costs too much
• They don’t speak my language

Opportunities to explore reducing barriers to services include strengthening: 

• Expanded nighttime access
• Expanded weekend access 
• Transportation from homes to transport hub
• Subsidized ride share program to vital services
• Expanded ride share program for students/youth 
• Expanded ride share program for elders
• Special services for disabled populations

Parent Supports

We list approximately 4 service organizations under “parent supports.” If child care is listed, only those licensed by the state are in the directory.

In our countywide survey, residents reported the following barriers to accessing parent support programs including home visiting programs and child care:

The most commonly listed difficulties with getting home visiting services were: 

• Not having time or ability to get off work
• Not knowing where to get services
• Not qualifying for services
• Inability to find a quality provider
• Long wait lists

The most commonly listed difficulties with getting child care services were: 

• High costs
• Long wait lists
• Lack of quality providers
• Program times conflicting with respondent’s schedule
• Not knowing where to get services

Opportunities to explore to reduce barriers to services include strengthening: 

• Urgent Parent Supports local hotline 
• Nighttime Parent Supports 
• Weekend Parent Supports
• Transportation to parent supports
• Parent supports at all school sites serving students and families
• Web-based education for residents (addressing digital divide to ensure access)
• Web-based professional mentoring and support for providers

Early Childhood Learning Programs

We list approximately 2 service organizations under “early childhood learning.” If child care is listed, only those licensed by the state are in the directory.

In our countywide survey, residents reported the following barriers to accessing early childhood learning programs:

• Long wait lists
• Can’t find a quality preschool providers
• Program times conflicting with respondent’s schedule
• Not knowing where to get services
• It’s too far to travel
• They don’t speak my language
• There is no reliable transportation for me or my child
• Registration occurs at a time I can’t go

Opportunities to explore reducing barriers to services include strengthening: 

• Nighttime child care (for night shift staff)
• Weekend child care
• Transportation to early childhood learning programs
• Web-based education for residents (addressing digital divide to ensure access)
• Web-based professional mentoring and support for providers

Community Schools

Under “schools” we include a variety of educational institutions serving learners of all ages. They are not necessarily what is known as fully-resourced community schools with a school-based-health center and full-time director of community schools programming for students and parents. 

We have listed the school districts and all school sites have some of the components of a community school. Further assessments can track the development of school-based health centers serving student and family members with medical, dental and mental health care. 

In our countywide survey, residents reported the following barriers to accessing health services as schools for their child and accessing mental health services at schools for their children:

Difficulty accessing school-based mental health care at school for child:

• Long wait lists
• shortage of counselors or mental health care professionals at the school 
• schools not offering this type of service

Opportunities to explore reducing barriers to school-based services include strengthening: 

• The Community Schools model with a director of community schools and additional staffing and programming
• Expanded nighttime instruction
• Expanded weekend instruction
• Transportation to learning programs
• Expanded web-based education for residents (addressing digital divide to ensure access)
• Schools with school-based medical, dental and behavioral health care-
• Web-based professional mentoring and support for educators and staff

Youth Mentoring Programs

We list approximately 5 service organizations under “youth mentoring” that include a variety of programming, from one on one mentoring to mentor-supervised sports and recreation like Moving Arts. If the mentoring program does background checks on adults serving as mentors and group activity leaders, this is noted in the program description. 

In our countywide survey, residents reported the following barriers to accessing youth mentor programs:

• I don’t know where to get this service
• We don’t have reliable transportation
• The program is not right for my child
• I feel uncomfortable with my child interacting with someone I don’t know well
• They don’t speak my child’s language
• They don’t speak my language

Opportunities to explore reducing barriers to services include strengthening: 

• Expanded nighttime mentoring 
• Expanded weekend mentoring
• Transportation to mentoring programs
• Web-based mentoring for residents (addressing digital divide to ensure access)
• Web-based professional support for mentors and agency providers

Job Training

Under “job training” we include approximately 8 service organizations focused on workforce development, vocational education and higher education, with Northern New Mexico College being the one based in the county. Our list also includes those educational institutions offering web-based instruction and degree programs including: UNM, New Mexico State University, Santa Fe Community College, and New Mexico Highlands University. High rates of joblessness may result in a higher need for job training and placement programs.

In our countywide survey, residents reported the following barriers to accessing job training programs:

• They don’t offer the type of training I want
• I don’t have anyone to watch my child during the training
• I don’t know where to get this service
• Costs too much
• I don’t have reliable transportation
• Training times don’t work for me
• I feel bad and/or worried about going
• I don’t qualify
• They don’t speak my language
• I was told I don’t qualify
• Wait list is too long

Opportunities to explore reducing barriers to services include: 

• Expanded nighttime instruction
• Expanded weekend instruction
• Transportation to learning programs
• Expanded web-based education for residents (addressing digital divide to ensure access)
• Web-based professional mentoring and support for educators and staff

NEXT STEPS

We hope you will join us by identifying and addressing gaps in ten services and removing barriers to ensure 100% of Rio Arriba County residents can thrive. Contact us for more information on removing barriers and expanding access to the vital services. The 100% New Mexico initiative is one way to mobilize around creating a county where 100% can access services and thrive. Ask us about starting the initiative and about the work the Anna, Age Eight Institute is doing across New Mexico.