By Mary McPhail Gray
Board Chair

Sometimes in our lives as members of a democracy, we have the opportunity to stand for justice, compassion and fairness.  Such an opportunity is up right now as the New Mexico Legislature winds down its session in a flurry of activity.

We at Taos Behavioral Health serve clients with great needs for community compassion and support.  Approximately eighty percent of our clients live below or just above the official federal poverty line.  This is also reflected in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count National Database that names New Mexico as 50^th  in Child Well-Being in 2018. Over the past 19 years, New Mexico was once (1990)  40^th in the nation.  For the past seven years,  we have been 49^th  or 50^th. This is a chronic tragedy for our families — especially our youth.

Well-being is determined by economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. In all of these areas, we find our clients fighting to get ahead — to solve problems and realize their dreams for themselves and family members.  One of the glaring issues is poverty — jobs with minimum wages, high stress, few benefits and little stability — or no job at all. [Read more…] about Fighting for Food Justice!

By Mary McPhail Gray
Board Chair

When you come to TBH, you will be greeted by our new receptionist—Nancy Diamond, a consummate welcoming personality with over thirty years of experience in various roles in Taos.  She will help you feel comfortable and make sure your immediate questions are answered.

Then you will visit with Tiffanie Hines—our Intake staff member who will make certain that we have all your contact and insurance information and will listen carefully to the concerns and goals that bring you there.  Hines has been in Taos for ten years working at a variety of behavioral health agencies and also as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens.  She is completing an internship with us, while finishing a master’s degree in social work at Highlands University.

In a new role—but a familiar face—is Eric Mares who recently accepted the clinical director position.  These three staff members are keys to making sure whatever the challenges you describe—you are paired with a clinician with the skills and interest to meet your needs.  We understand that it is the human relationships that make all the difference in your journey to health. [Read more…] about New Roles, New Faces at Taos Behavioral Health

By Mary McPhail Gray
Board Chair

When you walk up to the door of our offices at 105 Bertha — the main door has a colorful heart wreath decorating it.  Just inside on the receptionist’s desk is a poster “Follow Your Heart.”  Why?  Because this is February: Valentine’s Day month and it gives us a chance to express some deep commitments to love.

Our TBH tagline — “Heal * Grow * Empower Yourself”  — is really about loving yourself — even in the toughest of times.  How hard this is to do! In a culture with great emphasis on independence and self-reliance, any hint of feelings that are the opposite can be viewed as weakness and something to be ashamed of.  And in our current economic times, many outside forces create powerful limits on our feelings of pride and success.

At TBH we have a staff of 25 clinicians who themselves represent a great variety of life experiences and bring a variety of skills to the work they have chosen.  They have also walked tough paths and know that recovery and survival often depend on a special relationship with a friend, family member or counselor.  When they talk about their work, their faces light up as they express their love and commitment to the clients they serve. [Read more…] about “A Love Story“– Taos Behavioral Health

By Mary McPhail Gray
Board Chair

Taos Behavioral Health invites you to come to our new Walk-In Clinic on Thursdays.  We know that sometimes family and work schedules make it difficult for you to plan appointments in advance when you are looking for help with mental health struggles.

This is a new service—open from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 to 3 p.m. every Thursday.  People will be seen on a first-come-first-served basis, but you can also call ahead and ask for an appointment time.  When you come, please bring your insurance card if you have one.

Taos Behavior Health Clinic

Staffed by our clinicians and interns, this is an intake service that will help you determine your need for treatment.  You may be experiencing acute stress over recent grief and loss or have ongoing anxiety and depression that you would like to discuss with a professional.  During the intake process, a therapist will talk with you about the mental health struggles you are experiencing.  Together, you can decide on the most appropriate follow up for your situation.

Brief intervention therapy may be exactly what you are looking for.  TBH has 21 licensed clinicians who know a great variety of techniques to share with you.  Our tagline is “Heal * Grow * Empower Yourself” — and we are committed to working with you for those goals.

Parent who are seeking help for young children should first come to the walk-in clinic by themselves for discussion with a clinician.  Our staff will gather information and understand your concerns before meeting with other family members in follow-up. [Read more…] about Walk In – to our New Clinic!

By Mary McPhail Gray
TBH Board Chair

Starting Monday, December 3 the TBH Family Center clinicians are providing their services in new quarters next to the agency’s main office: 105 Bertha in Taos. The move from the Old Magistrate Court on Salazar, formerly occupied by Tri County Services, was accomplished over the bitterly cold weekend with all hands helping out.

“Now all TBH Clients — including those from the Family Center — will enter through the main office door on the east side of our building at 105 Bertha,” said CEO Simon Torrez.  “This will enable the reception area to serve all of the agency’s scheduled clients in one location — completing forms and keeping one master schedule.”

Left to right: Ashley Branch, Bruno Nora, Katie Torrelli-Delgado

The Family Center clinicians, Katia Torrelli-Delgado, Ashley Branch and Bruno Nora, have been working together to design the renovation of the new quarters—specifying space requirements for individual and group counseling, selecting welcoming colors and equipping a play therapy room.  The work crew took special care to make certain there was ample insulation to insure quiet and privacy—so necessary for this confidential work.

Each of the Family Center therapists has enlarged their practice since joining TBH — serving youth and their families in the schools and at the TBH offices.  Youth are seen in individual sessions, and families are included at the appropriate time in the therapeutic process. [Read more…] about Taos Behavioral Health Welcomes Family Center in New Location

Media Contact:  
Simon Torrez
s.torrez@nonviolenceworks.us

Long-Standing Taos Nonprofit Announces New Name, Enhanced Mission & Program Expansion

Taos, NM – What’s in a name? When it comes to telegraphing what an organization does, the name makes a difference. That’s why Nonviolence Works, Inc., has renamed itself Taos Behavioral Health. The new name better reflects that for 12 + years this nonprofit has helped New Mexicans of all ages heal, grow and empower themselves through one-on-one, family, and group therapy with the largest number of professional, credentialed and behavioral therapists in northern New Mexico.

“We now have 21 therapists, all with graduate degrees, with three joining us in the last month alone”. said Simon Torrez, MBA, Chief Executive Officer. “We expect to serve an even greater number of northern New Mexicans not just through our expanded staffing but through new, HIPAA-compliant, secure “TeleMentalHealth” counseling; increased programming for war veterans; and the Winter 2019 opening of a Residential Treatment Facility for male juvenile offenders ages 12-17.”

“Our name has changed and our mission is strengthened, to provide comprehensive behavioral health services to individuals, families and groups to support them in developing positive behaviors and making life-affirming choices,” said Mary McPhail Gray, Ph.D., Board Chair. “We are bigger, more financially stable, and serve more clients than ever before; however, to meet these ever-growing needs we need the community’s support through donations, both in-kind and monetary.”

Taos Behavioral Health currently offers 14 programs—seven each for adults and children—and has behavioral therapists in every school in Taos County as well as at the University of New Mexico’s Taos campus.

For more detail, visit www.taosbehavioralhealth.org. For interviews with Simon Torrez, please contact Simon at 575-758-4297.

By Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

Once more, hindsight is brilliant!  The number of stories of actions taken by a variety of individuals to communicate concern about Nikolas Cage is too familiar a scenario.

Who is to blame—not enough training of law enforcement?  Not enough effective models of whether to keep the case open or not?  Not enough citizen skill at describing their concerns and stubbornly following up?

The responses we see are the huge media coverage with the resultant traumatizing of our youth—not just students at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School but understandably anywhere in the country.  Starting with the 1966 “Tower Shooting” on the University of Texas campus, we have witnessed too many of these events in educational settings.  And it makes cruel logical sense—since most mass shooters are intent on harming a great number of people— public settings such as a theatre in Colorado or a school in any town become efficient environments for that deadly goal. [Read more…] about Is Is Okay to “Snitch”?