Taos Behavioral Health

Counseling for Adults, Children and Families

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Bringing Rich Skills to You

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
Board Chair

“As a student of human  behavior, I am fascinated to learn about the experiences that have contributed to people’s actions today,” states Linda Sanders, Clinical Supervisor at Taos Behavioral Health.  In her 28- year career as a clinical social worker, Sanders has enhanced her learning and understanding of people in a rich variety of contrasting roles—from work with veterans, to heading an adoption agency, to directorships at large social service agencies, to mitigation investigations in murder cases. She relates a deep understanding of the emotions involved in all these  situations.

Sanders joined TBH in 2018—after working at Tri-County and provides clinical supervision for all clinicians who are completing independent licensure and  masters level  interns who are completing their field work.  The fact that she has worked in so many different settings—that presented intense challenges– gives her a broad core of skills that guide her supervision.

Working for ten years as the director of a 100-year-old adoption agency gave Sanders a deep understanding of  grief and loss that is often not understood by others. The birth parents experience the loss of their child, the adopting couple is often in grief over their infertility failures and the adopted child loses the experience of being raised by her biological family.  These feelings of grief have to be dealt with to complete a successful adoption.  [Read more…] about Bringing Rich Skills to You

Reaching Out to Veterans

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
Board Chair

“Working with veterans is a passion of mine,” declares Jacquie Arcand, one of four Taos Behavioral Health clinicians who are uniquely skilled at treating veterans. “I am a military brat and have a lived experience with military culture and family life.  My father was a WWI veteran whose PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) was never treated.”

Just as you would seek help for a physical injury, you can seek help for a soul-searing moral injury.  The wounds are just as deep and debilitating.  Most veterans have some level of PTSD—as a result of experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event/s.  PTSD symptoms may start within a month of the event or may not appear for years.   Often the individual has intrusive repetitive memories, avoidance behaviors, negative moods and thoughts and changes in physical and emotional reactions.  The veteran often experiences difficulties in social and family life, occupational instability, marital problems and difficulty in parenting. [Read more…] about Reaching Out to Veterans

Summer–Taos Behavioral Health Responds to the Season’s Challenge

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
Board Chair

The lazy freedoms of summer days present critical challenges for youth and families in Taos.   Once school is out the  supportive social structure and activities often  disappear and youth are “left with finding something to do“ comments Angela Romero, TBH clinician who works at Taos High School.

Families are challenged by the current school schedule—with a long summer break—and few organized offerings that are accessible by location and are affordable.  It is a reality that many families work 2-3 jobs to support their basic needs.  “Many youth are unsupervised in the summer weeks and get into trouble and fall behind academically” states Sadie Quintanilla, TBH Director of School Programs.  [Read more…] about Summer–Taos Behavioral Health Responds to the Season’s Challenge

Taos Behavioral Health—Still Here—Still Serving!

By Simon Torrez
Executive Director

Since its incorporation in 2007, Taos Behavioral Health has gone through three name changes.  When we started as Men Engaged in Nonviolence or TaosMEN, we were a four-man staff providing mentorship and fatherhood programs through grants and donations in a 1000-square-foot building. After several years of these two services, community leaders asked us to provide more female programs; that resulted in the launching of Women Engaged in Nonviolence, TaosWIN.  Our staff increased to eight, and we moved to a larger 4000-square-foot building.  This staff growth included three clinicians since we recognized that clinical services were necessary for the clients we were serving in the mentorship and fatherhood programs.

We soon began providing in school therapeutic services in collaboration with Taos Schools to students who were no longer being served due to budget cuts within the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED).  With these new services we launched a new name, NonViolence Works, Inc (NVW) to reflect our broader offering of preventive health services. NVW provided these services for six years from its location at 1337 Gusdorf Rd until the decision was made to move to a smaller space adapted for the specific programs that are not housed within the schools.  Today, adult and family services, group   counseling, and veterans’ counseling programming are housed at our new location at 105 Bertha Street.

The school-based programs continue to include individual and group counseling for students, a therapeutic after-school program  (Familia y Mundo) and the Gang Resistance is Powerful (GRIP) preventive educational program. A Residential Treatment Center for adolescent males, Lobo Peak, will be housed jointly with county facilities. We are exploring sites for the Gambler Battle Back Program and Veterans’ Residential Services. [Read more…] about Taos Behavioral Health—Still Here—Still Serving!

Taos Behavioral Health Gives Thanks to Community Businesses

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

It is the season of giving thanks and reaching out to those who are important in our lives.  We are grateful for our 13 years of partnering and giving to the greater Taos community!

We hope many of you saw our full-page announcement in the November 15 Taos News that pictured Nonviolence Works’ enlarged staff, our enhanced services and our new name and tag line!  We are now Taos Behavioral Health — which more accurately portrays what we do:  “Heal, Grow, Empower Yourself.”

This work would not be possible without the generous partnering of organizations in Taos who believe in our mission:  “To provide comprehensive behavioral health services to individuals, families and groups to support them in developing positive behaviors and making life-affirming choices.”

We would like to feature the organizations that in 2018 once again partnered with our Familia y Mundo Therapeutic Summer camp.

First of all, Ranchos Elementary School with the commitment of Principal Lourdes Cordova once again provided us with two temporary classrooms to house our activities — protecting space for individual and group therapy and a wide variety of social, educational and physical activities.  The janitorial staff — a critical support for any activity in the buildings — was particularly supportive and efficient.

The participants visited Taos Village Farm to learn about agriculture and nutrition, and the staff always prepared them a fresh, free lunch!  High Altitude Fitness gave the program free swimming time and, High Altitude Athletics provided free time in their gym.

Twirl invited the program to a free afternoon of creative activities and time to play in their playground.  Taos Youth and Family Center allowed free use of their facilities, and we paid a small fee for swimming and rollerblading.

Gutters provided an experience for the youth to learn about and try bowling, and Parks and Recreation encouraged our use of all the city parks.

At the Taos Library, youth were given the chance to visit the book holdings and check out books of their choice.  Defendu Academy continued their reasonable fee for providing classes in beginning martial arts.

The Storyteller Theatre cooperated with us in opening the theatre for our students and their families in a special matinee celebrating the end of the summer program. We took the youth to Vagrant Heart where they learned from a rich variety of local artists and had opportunities to create themselves.

Sadie Quintanilla, TBH Director of School Programs, stated that the amazing support of community groups enriched the summer program and allowed for unique and memorable experiences for all the students. In all of these places, our students were welcomed, and their learning was facilitated by the attitudes and support of the staffs.  One of the important objectives of the summer camp is to provide new opportunities for the attendees to learn (and teach their families) about unique Taos resources.  In addition, we discuss ways that youth can give back to the community through service activities and representing Taos youth in positive ways.

As this Holiday season starts and we celebrate a new beginning with a new name, mission and tag line — we want to recognize the gifts of the community. These businesses that have supported us need recognition and appreciation by all the community.

Thank you from us all!

 

Taos Behavioral Health (formerly Nonviolence Works) has the largest credentialed and licensed behavioral health staff in Northern New Mexico.  We can be reached at 575-758-4297 or taosbehavioralhealth.org or stop by at 105 Bertha Street in Taos. 

Mary McPhail Gray is the Board Chair of Taos Behavioral Health (TBH) and can be reached at 575-779-3126 or mcphailconsulting@gmail.com

New Jobs, New Excitement at the Residential Treatment Facility!

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

“When we take them out in the wilderness, I have seen them recognize their own strengths —  and see new possibilities for their life” stated Jacquie Arcand, one of four employees at Nonviolence Works with experience in Wilderness Therapy. Since the approval last week from the state Children, Youth and Families Department to move ahead with the plans to implement the Residential Treatment Center for adolescent boys — exciting planning is underway at NVW.

The new program will be housed in the building that was formerly the Juvenile Detention Facility and will present a new visionary model of treatment. Approximately half of the residents’ time will be spent indoors completing academic requirements coordinated with the Taos School District as well as group and individual counseling. A good portion of their days will also be spent outside where the power, beauty and challenge of the wilderness will be a healing partner. All four of the NVW clinicians trained in Wilderness Therapy have seen the power of this program to transform lives.  Both “hard skills” such as starting fires from scratch, cleaning up, taking care of camping equipment and “soft skills” such as communication, teamwork, leadership and expressing emotion will be taught.

Besides taking the residents out of their familiar environments for Wilderness Therapy, the staff will incorporate curriculum that has been developed by NVW — such as NAC, our Nonviolence Awareness Class.  Seven Challenges — a research validated curriculum for Substance Abuse Prevention — will be implemented as well as a stage model of growth developed by two of the interns at NVW.  The stage model is based on the Native American Medicine Wheel and uses the Four Directions to lead clients through learning and into a fresh start in life.

A further enrichment of the program will be coordination with Taos County to engage in Service Learning — participating in projects that give back to the community as well as earning academic credits.

Lieutenant Andrew Montoya of the County Detention Department and CEO Simon Torrez of NVW have been working with their staffs and county and state officials for eighteen months to realize this dream. Now the challenges of hiring, training and screening referrals will begin.

This new program will bring at least 15 new jobs to Taos, and applications are being accepted at Nonviolence Works at 575-758-4297 or www.nonviolenceworks.us. We are hiring clinicians and residential assistants (RAs) to fill out a 24-hour staffing pattern. Hiring will be done in November, training in December, and the first clients will arrive early in January.

Referred clients are expected to be in treatment for 90–120 days. Diagnoses will usually include dual-diagnoses (concurrent behavioral health and substance abuse problems). Clients referred must already be clean of active substance abuse; detox will not be provided at the center.

Transforming the Juvenile Detention Facility into a welcoming therapeutic environment will take creativity, construction, and donations from a caring community. We will be posting a list of the items needed to furnish the common space and clinicians’ offices, purchase food service and camping equipment and supplies for cleaning, first aid, etc. Donors may be interested in funding a particular need, such as linens for all rooms in the 18-bed facility. Stay tuned to our website and ads/articles in the Taos News.

The NVW staff believes that this program is creative and visionary — refining the model means that it can be shared with many other communities. We expect the clients to be challenged — to learn — but to also have fun.  We look forward to new hires and new partnerships.  Please join our excitement!

 

Nonviolence Works has the largest credential and licensed behavioral health staff in northern New Mexico. Reach us by calling 575-758-4297 or visiting the web site at www.nonviolenceworks.us

Mary McPhail Gray is the board chair of NVW and can be reached at 575-779-3126 or mcphailconsulting@gmail.com.

Nonviolence Works Welcomes Eric Mares!

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

“I really like to navigate journeys with my clients — we learn from each other,“ says Eric Mares, from his new seat as a Clinician/Program Director at Nonviolence Works.

Mares is a fifth generation Taoseño who knows this community well — he was educated here, and his family still lives here. He and his wife Danielle are both involved in human services and believe in giving back to help Taos come together for safety and health. [Read more…] about Nonviolence Works Welcomes Eric Mares!

TBH is here for Students and Families!

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

School begins — an exciting and challenging season of the year!  As August 10th arrived, students and parents were dealing with the annual change in schedules and activities from summer to an academic year.

For many students, the year-opening is stressful — new teachers, new fellow students — new expectations that are not all clear.  Nonviolence Works clinicians are stationed in schools across the district — ready to provide support through individual counseling appropriate to whatever issue a student might present and to provide group counseling around common themes.

The services of NVW are particularly critical at a time when a significant partner in behavioral health services — TriCounty Behavioral Health Services — is closing its doors on August 31 but moving to immediately transfer clients.  Family members who have relied on TriCounty services in Taos, Raton or Clayton may feel the stress of uncertainty about how their behavioral health and substance abuse treatment services will be met. [Read more…] about TBH is here for Students and Families!

Nonviolence Works: A Great Place to Work!

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

They come with differing experiences and skills, but all have an overriding commitment — to give back to the community.  And they bring fresh energy and ideas and questions to enhance our services at Nonviolence Works.

I want to introduce our three interns — Carolyn Wilson, Bryan Salazar and Andrew Chiaraluce.  As they complete their required clinical hours for social work or mental health counseling licenses under supervision by NVW staff, they bring us special new perspectives. [Read more…] about Nonviolence Works: A Great Place to Work!

Erasing the Miles for Counseling!

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

Living in the mountains of Northern New Mexico is special and beautiful, but not without its challenges.  It’s a long trip to town when something is needed.  Taos Emotional Health & Wellness (TEHW), a program of Nonviolence Works, recognized this as a barrier to mental health treatment for many folks in areas surrounding Taos.  To address this community need, TEHW has acquired the technology to provide online counseling services to our clients in Red River, Angel Fire, Costilla, Cerro, and pretty much any location in the State.

Rather than driving one to two hours each way for a one-hour therapeutic appointment, clients can meet with a counselor through their computer, tablet, or via video platform on a secure website.

Many people are familiar with tele-medicine first developed in the 1950s, which has been providing services to rural areas for many years. The video platform enables a patient/client to talk directly with a qualified professional and receive therapeutic services that are covered by their insurance carrier.

Karen House, our  clinical director, is already seeing clients with this service, and other NVW clinicians are in training.  We have appointments available immediately!  Individuals can call NVW at 575-758-4297 and speak directly with our receptionist, Alicia Romero, who can easily guide them through the intake process. Our website is also a great way to connect to our intake process: www.nonviolenceworks.us. However; Alicia is a master at making the job really customer-friendly.  Clients who are currently driving some distance for appointments can request to be transferred to the e-counseling program. [Read more…] about Erasing the Miles for Counseling!