A long-discussed proposal to build a modern behavioral health facility that would serve the residents of eastern New Mexico has received a boost with the release of a new feasibility study.
The Denver-based Initium Health, which specializes in exploring solutions for improved healthcare, has completed a comprehensive survey of the mental health needs of the region, and concluded that those needs are likely more pressing than popularly imagined.
Conducting the survey on behalf of the counties of Curry, De Baca, Quay, and Roosevelt, as well as the cities of Clovis and Portales and village of Fort Sumter, Initium Health said that the gap in behavioral health care in the region is sweeping.
That gap in many ways comes down to basic geography: residents in the region must travel up to five hours to receive inpatient mental health care, a burden that not only negatively impacts those without transportation, but is even more crucial for those who may be in need of immediate care.
The estimated price tag for a modern facility designed to address today’s behavioral health care needs, which would also include treatment for substance abuse disorders, is around $45 million.
An additional report conducted by Initium is expected to be presented next month, looking at funding options for such a facility.
By Garry Boulard
