Taos Behavioral Health

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Taos Behavioral Health Ready to Support You as School Opens!

Mary Gray McPhail

By Mary McPhail Gray
Board Chair

Thursday, August 15th—the first day of the school year 2019–,2020!  The buses are rolling, the teachers are finishing last minute tasks, the schools are shining clean and the administrators stand ready to meet, greet and solve unexpected problems.  Excitement is in the air as the village starts the tasks of supporting our education system.

In homes, students are excited and nervous, and parents are hurrying to prepare them with needed supplies and encouragement as the family schedule changes.  Plans are finalized for transportation and after school activities.

For all students—the new school year brings change—new teachers and friends—new academic challenges.  For some students change is exciting and rewarding, and for many, change brings anxiety and stress.  Will they feel comfortable in new classes? Will they be with their friends?  Will they find new friends?  What if someone bullies them?  Who will be there to help?  Will the classwork be too hard? [Read more…] about Taos Behavioral Health Ready to Support You as School Opens!

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 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

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!

A Year of Success!

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

Nonviolence Works faced challenges, opportunities and success in 2017.  We want to reach out to Taosenos and celebrate our success!  This year our CEO Simon Torrez and our Lead Clinician Sadie Quintanilla have led the staff through successful changes with enhanced clinical expertise, larger staff, stronger programs, and exciting new plans for additional services.

We welcomed three new clinicians, and all our clinicians enhanced and focused their therapeutic skills. You may not know that we have an expert in infant mental health, several clinicians who respond with skill in crisis situations, a clinician who is skilled in vocational rehabilitation, and several who regularly intervene to prevent suicides.  Our clinicians all have master’s degrees and are able to deal with grief and loss, trauma, anger management, and custody and foster child issues. [Read more…] about A Year of Success!

We’re Here for You!

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

Have you been to the Storyteller theater this week?  It is the holiday season when the audiences become larger and new movies are pushed out by the industry to capture your attention.  We hope you all notice the new ad for Nonviolence Works while you are waiting for the previews!

We want you to know that we are here for you!  We often hear that many people do not know we have competent clinicians that service individuals, families and couples, in addition to our ongoing work with youth. We especially want you to know that we have clinicians skilled in service to our veterans, and we want you to help us spread that word.

Our website gives you an excellent overview of our programs and the deep strength of our staff.  There is also an online referral form for yourself or others for whom you wish to seek services. [Read more…] about We’re Here for You!

How We Support Changes in Adults

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

When clients come to us, they present concerns in the intake interview and in initial conversations with the clinicians. And the work to change takes courage and effort. Sometimes the presenting issues relate to violence and the need to learn better coping skills—to stop from acting in violence, to stop from triggering violence, and to recover from violent experiences. Whether happening in one’s own childhood or happening now in adulthood, relationship violence is a deeply traumatic experience. In the words of one survivor of violence who did not report it to any legal office, “I lost ten years of my life.”

Families may encourage silence, and victims fear retaliation and public disapproval against all family members.  The culture of Taos makes violence more acceptable than is healthy. When family cases are referred to the legal system and the courts make decisions for treatment, they often come to one of Nonviolence Works clinical programs. [Read more…] about How We Support Changes in Adults

Garage Sale Success!

Thanks to all the Tasoseños who came to NVW’s garage sale on Saturday to Help Us Help Taos. We are grateful for the hard work of NVW staff members Simon Perez, Steve Moser, Lisa Stern, and Sadie Quintanilla, and Board members Mary McPhail Gray, Larry Apodaca, Dick Watkins, Roger Archuleta, Lucie Hartley-Urquhart, and Smokey Martinez.

Special kudos go to Sadie Quintanilla who worked longer and harder than anyone to make the garage sale a resounding success!

How We Support Changes in Our Clients

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

Everyone in the behavioral health field is wants to support their clients through changes they have identified—whether it be relieving depression, processing grief, learning more self control and goal setting, or acquiring new relationship or parenting skills.

How do we help them change? What makes it possible for people to change in a relationship with a counselor or social worker? Is there a special “one size fits all” program or approach?

Researchers and behavioral health care providers have asked these questions in order to improve their success with clients. Recent research gives some interesting answers. Repeatedly, findings describe the “therapeutic alliance” or the partnership between the therapist and the client as a key variable. This essentially means that a trusting relationship is developed where the client feels empathy, acceptance and warmth from the therapist. They develop a shared work plan devoted to the client’s needs.

Further research also suggests that the greater and varied life experiences a therapist has is often a key factor in being able to relate to a variety of clients. At Nonviolence Works, our clinicians have a range of experiences and skills. [Read more…] about How We Support Changes in Our Clients