BAMHS maintains offices at 315 S. Hudson St. (Hudson Plaza, Suite 12) in Silver City, and at 429 E. Olive St. in Deming.
Operating under a new mission statement that reads, “To empower people to realize their potential,” BAMHS has retained and revamped four existing programs and added six new services, according to Kathleen Hunt, the agency’s executive director. She said her staff and the board of directors are also considering several other services that might be provided in the near future.
“We now offer confidential, individualized mental health and substance abuse therapy to people who have private insurance, employee assistance, or would like to pay for services as they are provided,” Hunt said. “We have three licensed therapists available in Silver City and one in Deming.”
The agency, she said, is now featuring hypnotherapy as a new alternative treatment for individuals who desire to achieve success in stopping smoking, losing weight, overcoming fears of anxiety, visit https://www.opaortho.com/xanax-treating-anxiety/ or successfully managing pain. Hunt, who is a certified hypnotherapist, described hypnosis as a naturally occurring state of focused relaxation that allows the therapist to communicate positive suggestions to the client’s subconscious mind. “It is considered to be a safe, natural, healthy and effective way of using the power of your own mind to create positive change in your life for your own success,” she explained.
Another new BAMHS program just recently inaugurated is the New Mexico-mandated Alcohol Server Training classes (NewMAST). The agency has become sanctioned by the state’s Alcohol and Gaming Division to provide the training. Hunt and two of her staff members are certified instructors. “We have already provided the training to more than a dozen individuals in Silver City and Deming,” she said. The classes are taught once each month in both communities.
An innovative new electronic fingerprinting service is now available at the Silver City and Deming offices. The service is provided in Silver City every weekday and in Deming on Wednesdays. BAMHS has been certified by 3M Cogent to offer the electronic fingerprinting to people whose employers require background checks and fingerprinting prior to employment. Individuals must be registered on line with 3M Cogent prior to arriving for fingerprinting, and they must bring a valid photo ID and a New Mexico registration number which will be provided by their employer.
To assist schools, state social service agencies, courts and defense attorneys, BAMHS is now administering the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) for substance dependency. This screening process, Hunt said, is extremely effective in identifying early-stage chemically dependent individuals who are either in denial or who are trying to conceal their dependency. In addition to being a screening instrument, SASSI also provides clinical insights into respondent’s defensiveness, as well as other characteristics. The SASSI consists of an adolescent or an adult version.
Notary services are now available at the agency’s offices in Silver City and Deming. “We can provide this service to individuals or businesses who simply need a signature notarized, or if typing is required prior to notarizing a signature, and also for the finalization of property sales requiring multiple signatures,” Hunt said.
A highly utilized carry-over program is the court-mandated training for offenders who have been convicted of Driving While Intoxicated. The “DWI Schools” require 12-hours of instruction taught over three consecutive weekends at the agency’s offices in Silver City and Deming.
BAMHS continues to manage the New Mexico Juvenile Community Corrections (JCC) Program in Grant, Luna, and Hidalgo Counties. Specially-trained case managers work with adjudicated youths utilizing a team approach that includes the client, family, the contracted agency, local public schools staff, Juvenile Probation Office staff and other significant individuals in the client’s life. Eligible participants must be adjudicated youths who are on probationary status and remain at risk of further in involvement with the New Mexico Juvenile Justice System. JCC is funded through the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD).
The “Love and Logic” program is currently available in Deming. A trained facilitator teaches parents, educators, and all other interested adults, an array of practical, easy-to-use techniques that promote positive changes in children’s behaviors. BAMHS offers the class several times during the year.
The final hold-over program is the agency’s Speaker’s Bureau. Several staff members are available to speak to any organization whose membership would like to learn more about the types of services and programs provided by BAMHS in their respective communities.
Those seeking more information about BAMHS or its programs, can contact the Silver City office at (575) 388-4497; and in Deming, the telephone number is (575) 546-4497.