A plan to provide much-needed behavioral health resources for Roswell continues moving forward this past week after being recommended by members of the city’s Legal Committee.
Carlsbad LifeHouse LLC, a nonprofit organization that provides similar services in Carlsbad and Eddy County, is also planning to move into a building at the Roswell Air Center, the former location of the New Mexico Department of Health’s Southeast Region operations.
LifeHouse would “establish a full Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic,” the draft agreement states. “This clinic is anticipated to employ approximately 40 people and serve approximately 200-plus people monthly.”
The agreement also says that once it’s formalized, the provider will fulfill these terms within 12 to 18 months.
Occupancy of a Roswell Air Center building that previously housed administrative offices for the New Mexico Department of Health Southeast Region on East Challenger Street is also part of this agreement.
The nearly 18,000-square-foot structure stands less than a quarter-mile from the air center terminal building and includes offices, conference rooms, a dock and a warehouse.
The lease isn’t going to be held to the Federal Aviation Administration’s standards because the location is outside of the federal entity’s regulatory area, said Bobbi Thompson, air center director.
While LifeHouse wouldn’t have subcontractors in Roswell, it could “cooperate with other entities,” said Philip Huston, executive director of LifeHouse.
Clients would be voluntary outpatients who might be receiving care because of a court referral. However, for some people, “not coming could have court consequences,” Huston also explained.
Councilor Cristina Arnold, vice-chair of the Legal Committee, recused herself from participating in the committee’s decision to recommend the agreement in a vote of 4-to-0.
This is because Arnold has been instrumental in the effort to bring LifeHouse services to Roswell and Chaves County.
She met a representative of the nonprofit LifeHouse about a year ago while attending an out-of-town conference. Arnold talked to the representative and organized a workshop for local officials and stakeholders.
Huston came to present an outline about what his organization could bring to Roswell and Chaves County, a region with only minimal care available for those with mental health and substance abuse care needs.
Arnold also served on a subcommittee that highlighted the development of a jail diversion program to reduce the number of defendants with behavioral health issues incarcerated, with treatment and other types of supervision as well as life skills instead being the focus.
The property that LifeHouse would occupy is going to be available to them on lease for up to 10 years, according to the draft agreement.
The final decision about whether the city should use its $1.8 to $2 million in opioid settlement funds is up to the city councilors, who approved the allocation to be used for such a purpose this past December.
Money that came to Chaves County from this same settlement isn’t included in this agreement with LifeHouse. City officials have said they no longer want to delay taking action, even though health matters are usually under county government purview.
Other parts of this draft agreement include not spending any additional city money and that the services be suited to Roswell and the county.
Councilor Angela Moore, also on the Legal Committee, said she thought it would be important not to place this agreement within the consent items that the councilors vote on together.
“Some of the people deserve to hear this information,” Moore emphasized. “It’s a good thing.”