As an involved mental health peer who has served advisory and leadership roles
in the New Mexico community for 10 years, I question currently proposed immigration policy and its impact on our peer services.

New Mexico is a “Border State” and a large influx of undocumented immigrants will greatly strain already negligently supported programs in the state. It is reasobable to project this influx will endure funding stretched beyond a social Hooke’s constant and generate longer waiting periods for the limited number of providers in New Mexico.

A typical waiting period for an outpatient behavioral health appointment is three to six months. Our homeless population is underserved with an ever growing population – obviously, housing needs are a HUGE issues for our community. Inpatient stays are revolving doors because inpatient treatment is about immediate stablization and not sustained outpatient success in recovery and wellness.

Why? Funding. Or more specifically, lack of funding. New Mexico doesn’t have a lot of money. Providing every behavioral health service needed for our community takes money. We don’t have enough.

This is an entirely unpopular platform and I’ve been called “heartless”, “racist”, “anti-immigrant”, “white supremicist” (my ancestry makes me one quarter Chinese and one quarter Tahitian – first generation born in America), and a number of other rhetorical barbs designed to shame me for my strong beliefs on social services in New Mexico.

This is an unpopular platform – I openly own this – and I have zero qualms sharing my belief.

With underserved peers and families who are citizens of the United States of America, our citizens’ behavioral health needs must come first. These peers are our priority and our responsibility. When our peers’ behavioral health needs are fully provided, only then should we consider offering services to a significant foreign immigrant population.

We have such a limited amount of funds. I can name a half dozen essential services in Albuquerque who turn away peers because of being underfunded. This is completely wrong.

In an ideal world we could afford to welcome all needful people to benefit from our services. Sadly, doing so would divert services away from our citizens and our peers already underserved. Our peers are our prioirty. This is the reality. Humanitarian support must be offered to our peers at home to ensure all their behavioral health needs are fulfilled.

It’s an unpopular platform and someone has to say it.