From left front are Grant County Extension Family and Consumer Science Agent and 4-H Lauren Baker, 4-H Council Vice President Kayleigh Massengill, Secretary Krysten Jones, Reporter Allie Miller, Treasurer Christopher Bennett, President Tucker Gatlin and County Agent and 4-H Jessica Massengill, with Commissioners Edwards, Browne and Ponce behind.

Photo and article by Mary Alice Murphy

The Grant County Commission work session on Feb. 20, 2024 featured two presentations.

The first presentation came from Wendy Raven Phillips and Laura Aubry, talking about the Housing and Behavioral Health Taskforce.

Phillips spoke first: "We appreciate being here to introduce the Housing and Behavioral Health Taskforce. It's no surprise how complicated the housing and behavioral health issues are for our community and across the nation. There are lots of citizens, as well as agencies and governmental entities trying to find solutions. Even in sitting down at the table with passionate people can be very difficult because they have different ideas and different focuses and different specialties. Our tagline is Community-Centered Solutions to Complex Challenges. We found in talking to professionals locally, statewide, and nationally that people consistently say that communication, networking and collaboration can lead to smaller solutions and smaller successes, and that's what we try to move forward with in this task force."

She noted that in 2023 a lot of issues came up and a lot of people were concerned about housing and behavioral health. Karen Kennedy's group started the Behavioral Health Taskforce. "It was focused on what the agencies' focuses and needs were. Valerie Zach started the Unhoused Taskforce, which gathered the resources and getting the information out to the public organizations that needed the information. The Citizen's Taskforce came out of a townhall meeting where the public spoke to their issues and their concerns. Patricia Cano invited the public to join a Citizen's Taskforce. Many of us that are on this task force joined her. (Silver City) Mayor (Ken) Ladner asked me if I would organize the downtown businesses, residents and property owners, who were having problem in the historic district. I immediately called Patricia and asked if I could join. It was confusing last year. We were all working in different directions. It took us quite a while to organize. As a group we named ourselves the Housing and Behavioral Health Taskforce."

Aubry said the group is very diverse, with different perspectives and opinions, as well as ideas for solutions. "It took us a while to create a solid foundation. We're not a direct service organization, and we're not here for just a short time. We want to be here a long time and build meaningful relationships with the community. Our Mission is to identify, discuss and recommend short- and long-term action items to minimize the impact of those experiencing housing and/or behavioral health instability in Grant County."

She said it covers many of the issues and concerns. "I feel like our tagline sums it up, which is Community-Centered Solutions to Complex Challenges."

The Vision of the group is to ensure safety, accountability and fairness for all stakeholders impacted by housing and/or behavioral health instability.

Objectives include fostering a platform for addressing community needs by:
Collating and updating resource descriptions and contact information - locally, county, state and nationwide;
Providing a hub dedicated to collaborative resource networking and support for community connections;
Understanding, finding and encouraging ways to best support first responders;
Functioning as a volunteer Think Tank exploring individual and community requests and ideas;
Offering leadership Taskforce problem-solving ideas, potential projects and funding ideas; and
Connection and guidance related to nonemergency support of people with problems related to housing and/or behavioral health instability.

"As we know in our community, there often are resources, but there is a disconnect and those resources aren't getting to those who need them," Aubry said. "One of our big priorities is creating a communication hub. We have a phone number and an email. We are not answering any emergency calls. We direct them to 911 or 988."

She continued that the group has four working committees, with room for more. They include the Advocacy and Education Committee, the Basic Needs Committee, the Street Outreach Committee and the Law Enforcement Committee. "These committees have task force members as well as other community volunteers. We currently have 25 task force members, so these committee meet regularly and that's where a lot of the real work is happening. And we report back to the Taskforce, which meets twice monthly."

Phillips added that these committees were formed to figure out where the passions were going at the moment. "We do intend to reach out to the county to make sure the different districts in the county are represented. We are also interested in starting a Behavioral Health Committee. The committees draw in the people who are most passionate about the issue. One of my interests is an affordable housing committee. Our idea is gathering the resources that are out there. And we want to be the resource for you. We are willing to go out there and gather the information for you and share it with you."

She showed a slide that showed the different focuses for the committees. Phillips said the advocacy and the law enforcement group, for instance is "they do the advocacy and can go out into, say, a neighborhood that needs help or a business that needs help. They can contact us and we can meet with them and brainstorm with them, as well as connect them with resources."

The street outreach and basic needs committees are more focused on projects and bigger ideas and solutions. "They would brainstorm their ideas in their committees and then come to the Taskforce that would work together to support the idea."

Aubry said the street outreach and basic needs committees also meet with the individuals that need the help.

The next slide showed a graph of how the process works, connecting the groups that need help with resources and leading to the committees that form the Taskforce. The Taskforce also will work with the New Mexico Department of Health Center for Health innovation, the Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments, the town and county managers, the Town Council and Board of Commissioners, as well as state senators and representatives. The Taskforce will also organize meetings, conferences and global resources.

Aubry said she currently is the receptionist and would redirect calls to 911 or 988 in case of an emergency or to the proper committee.

The stakeholders include various groups. The phone number is 575-519-4322 and the email address is hbhtaskforce@gmail.com.

District 1 Commissioner and Chair Chris Ponce said when the issues first came up, he worked with Patricia Cano and Mayor Pro Tem Guadalupe Cano. "There was a lot of input from the citizens and especially the neighborhood that was impacted. Have you met with the neighborhood residents and asked those questions? I think they will have more information and input into what their needs are."

Phillips said three of those neighbors are on the Taskforce. "We've also has other neighborhood groups come to us and basically what we're telling them is we wanted to build a strong foundation. We are all volunteers. We didn't want to meet with the neighborhoods until we introduced ourselves to the Town Council and the County Commission. Now that we've introduced ourselves, we want to sit down with that group. We also want people to reach out to us. We want to connect those disconnections."

Ponce said that group is what started the whole conversation through Patricia Cano and Councilor Cano. "It seems to me the biggest group missing is the group that started this whole idea. I think you should listen to that group."

Aubry said Patrick Cohn was also part of the original group, and he is welcome to join at any time. "It has grown into more than what it started out as. We're proud that we can work with that neighborhood, as well as other neighborhoods and community members. We want to hear from all of them."

District 3 Commissioner Alicia Edwards said it was a lot to absorb. "I appreciate that Patricia got this started. She was the driver that we need to pay attention to this. Thank you for wrangling this complex issue into something we should be able to move forward with."

District 5 Commissioner Harry Browne said he appreciated the presentation as well as the work the Taskforce is doing to address the difficult and wide-ranging set of issues that have been around for decades. "Many groups have met to discuss these issues, but thanks to Patricia Cano, it has moved forward into this organization. Thank you for getting this together. I look forward to working with you. My mother worked in Las Cruces at the Community of Hope. So that has always been in my head that it could be done here, too, for short-term needs and long-term services. I look forward to hearing more."

The next presentation came from the Grant County Cooperative Extension Services Agent and 4-H Jessica Massengill, and Lauren Baker, Family and Consumer Science Agent and 4-H.

Massengill started with a video she created. "We created it to explain to the new NMSU provost who came around to all the counties. I wanted to do something that would quickly explain what we do."

Some of the things the Extension Service provides to youths through the 4-H program, include positive youth development, leadership training, teaching life skills, responsibility. They also provide educational programs at schools, such as egg to chick, germ detective, and youth mental health. In the community, they offer 4-H at the library, diabetes education, cattle producer profitability, virtual fencing, cattle reproductive health, rotational grazing strategies, beef quality assurance, including mental health for producers, ICAN (ideas for cooking and nutrition). As part of the program, Massengill has created a successful podcast, called the Extension Connection, which has listeners in 24 countries around the world,. And the video stated "we are fun, we work together, and we have caring and dedicated volunteers. We recruit students to NMSU, especially for the College of ACES (College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Services)."

"Now we will get into the details of what we've been up to over the past year," Massengill said. "This is the 2023 Extension Annual Report."

Talking about the 4-H program, she said: "Enrollment continues to increase. We have five clubs, with 195 youth members and 40 adult members/volunteers. There are 200 projects available in 4-H, and we currently have 51 projects that our membership is interested in. Our enrollment has increased by 28 percent since 2021. I think we are close or maybe even exceeding our pre-Covid numbers. We continue to focus on a couple of programs. One is the 4-H Adult Development."

She said 4-H volunteers are recruited screened, selected, oriented, trained, supervised, evaluated and recognized for a sustainable volunteer program, but increased retention of volunteers is a challenge They need options of how and when to be involved, as their priorities regarding volunteer, personal and work commitments change over time. She noted the leaders need education about the organizational structure of 4-H, the 4-H delivery modes, affirmative action, youth protection, risk management, enrollment procedures, essential elements of youth development, working with youth, leadership styles, leadership roles, 4-H projects and local, state, national and international 4-H opportunities.

"Our adult volunteers provide a significant amount of direct contact with youths and are essential partners in the 4-H youth development," Massengill said. "We have short-term volunteers, long-term volunteers and subject specific volunteers."

She noted that research done in 2011 showed that 4-H leaders are persuaded to stay through ongoing trading and continued awareness of resources and curriculum. "So we continued a program with our adult leaders on how to perform needs assessments within their clubs for programming needs, financial record keeping, club member recruitment and retention as well as understanding the impact of community service."

"As a result, 16 club leaders from five clubs were evaluated at the end of the program," she continued. "100 percent of the leaders gained knowledge in performing needs assessments, club financial record keeping, club member recruitment and retention and the impact of community service.

"We know that long-term relationships with caring adults are essential for positive youth development," Massengill quoted from a report from 2022, "so the adult 4-H volunteer role is critical to the success of the 4-H program. In order to provide effective and impactful programming, adult 4-H volunteers must be trained in many different aspects of the 4-H program, which makes it valuable to the community as a whole."

In speaking about 4-H Youth Development, Massengill noted that in the 2019 National assessment of Educational Progress, only 35 percent of 4th graders, 33 percent of 8th graders and 20 percent of 12th graders were proficient in science. She also said that in the same year, only 40 percent of New Mexico students in the 4th, 7th, and 11th grades were proficient in science.

"Silver Schools scored slightly higher than the state and national average at 40 percent proficiency in science, according to the New Mexico Public Education Department report in 2020,"she continued. In Cobre Schools, only 35 percent of students are proficient in science. "

Massengill said: "So we took that information and put it in a way that our students can learn best and that's through a hands-on approach. Junior 4-H livestock projects can give the students valuable connections between what they learn in the classroom and how it applies to the real world. Through workshops and clinics, the youths were able to gain hands-on science education learning the different digestive and skeletal systems of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs and how they function. The were also able to learn how to keep their show stock healthy and how to treat minor health-related issues. In addition, they learned how to keep accurate records of the livestock projects increasing their mathematical comprehension as well."

She reported on the results of this specific program. A total of 129 returned and completed surveys showed 98 percent of participants increased their comprehension of the different digestive systems and different skeletal anatomy for beef, sheep, swine and goat species; 95 percent gained knowledge of how to calculate feed and supplements for their show animals' health; 98 percent increased their knowledge in biosecurity, disease symptom diagnostics, proper medication calculations, applications and withdrawal times; and 95 percent increased their knowledge in show stock record keeping, weight projection and profit/loss statements.

"We know this program is useful to improve student success in STEM through the use of the 4-H program through hands-on education," Massengill said.

She went into more detail on the afore-mentioned Egg to Chick program. She said the program took place in six schools in the Silver and Cobre school districts in 10 different classes in repeated educational lessons from pre-K to high school and reached 287 students.

Another program the Extension Service provided was a new 4-H family orientation for new families to learn about the program and meet other families and get questions answered. As a result, 68 percent of 4-H youth from the previous year re-enrolled, while 24.5 percent didn't re-enroll and 7 percent moved or graduated.

Baker gave more details on 4-H at the Library. "We hold four different sessions, in the summer, and it's a time when maybe parents don't need childcare. Academic achievement remains an important topic for education policy, linked to literacy and reading. It's not just for children. Parents are also encouraged to come to encourage positive relationships among family and community members."

She noted that the program reached more than 120 participants. The four educational sessions took place over two months and covered four topics: mental health to teach children to identify and express emotions; the Germ Detective program, which teaches proper hand washing skills and how rapidly germs spread; American history due to Independence Day; and the fourth, parts of a flower, emphasizing the importance of agriculture.

Baker said the program helped to increase 4-H enrollment numbers. It also finished at the same time as the Free Lunch program started, which increased numbers while they waited for the free lunch.

"It also introduced me to the WNMU childcare program, resulting in us partnering with both the library and WNMU this year," Baker said. A survey of parents resulted in 100 percent of parents recommending the 4-H at the library to other parents and community members; 100 percent reported an increase in knowledge; and 100 percent of the youths were excited about learning.

She next talked about food safety and preservation. "Due to the increase in the cost of living, the relevance of food safety and preservation is vital for rural communities. This program reached 50 participants. They were taught proper and safe techniques and got hands-on practice."

The exit survey results indicated that 100 percent were confident in continuing food preservation at home; 100 percent reported improved food safety practices and the adopting of new techniques would help them with an overall healthier well-being, as well as resulting in saving financially.

Massengill said another part of her job addresses livestock production and profitability. "We did a series of programs related to that. Did you know that New Mexico gross income from cattle and calves totaled $1 billion in 2022? New Mexico's inventory value of all cattle and calves increased 6 percent to $1,070 per head, up 15 percent since 2019. But total inventory in the state fell by 5.7 percent from the previous year. Cattle deaths increased by 2.9 percent from 2021, and Grant County has been categorized with worsening drought conditions ranging from severe to exceptional since 2020, with profitability a growing concern for cattle producers in Grant County. "

Because of a recent study by the Beef Checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, results show a significant premium for calves and feeder cattle sold through video auction markets, "we created two programs. The programs focused on BQA continuing education and certification, cattle nutrition, antimicrobial use, range monitoring and decision making, virtual fencing and producer mental health."

She said 37 returned and completed surveys, with respondents increasing their knowledge why BQA mattesr to the consumer and current consumer trends. Participants said they plan to make future changes to better comply with all BQA standards, as well as share the information with their employees and crews. They also increased their knowledge of range monitoring and how to make better grazing decisions during drought conditions, as well as increasing their knowledge of the new technology of virtual fencing, how it works, what it costs and the benefits of its use. Respondents also increased their awareness of signs and symptoms of mental health issues among agriculture producers and gained information on how to find resources to help with mental health struggles.

"These program are valuable to assist our producers to achieve increased profitability in their operation," Massengill concluded. "Do you have any questions? That's a lot of information."

Ponce said he noticed the students in attendance. Massengill asked each to stand as she introduced them. "These are our 2024 4-H Council officers. They are in the highest leadership positions in the county. They direct all our 4-H programming, our finances, and they influence our decisions. So basically, they are our boss."

She introduced President Tucker Gatlin, Vice President Kayleigh Massengill, Secretary Krysten Jones, Treasurer Christopher Bennett and Reporter Allie Miller, and one who was not present, Recreation Leader Juan Martinez. "I busted them out of school, so they could see a Commission meeting and see parliamentary procedure in real life."

Ponce said the second thing he wanted to bring up "is that sign coming in from Deming with all the brands is awesome. I would like to see something more popping with the 4-H stuff on there. If you would like to do something, please get with (County Manager) Charlene (Webb), and I'll make some phone calls to see if I can help you get someone to help with that."

Massengill said they do have a small sign at the county line coming in from Deming, "but it probably needs to be updated and was probably repainted nine or 10 years ago."

Edwards suggested one at each main road coming into town. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think when you first came, you weren't into video or podcasting."

"If someone had told me eight years ago that I would be creating videos and podcasts, I would have laughed," Massengill replied.

"That video was really great," Edwards said. "I loved what you're doing with video for 4-H. This video is very good and you should be sharing it with a lot of people."

District 2 Commissioner Eloy Medina said he receives the emails that are sent out. "The activities for February are amazing. You are really an active group. The video is really impressive. Keep up the good work!" He also said the program has some similarities with the CPC, Community Partnership for Children. "Maybe you should sit down with them and maybe get some funding or help. Maybe you can help each other, maybe you can't. I do appreciate what you do for the community. Thanks so much!"

"We're always looking to collaborate," Massengill said. "We were talking to the group before us. Thank you so much for your support. We really appreciate it."

Under commissioner reports, Medina announced a meeting to take place in Mimbres the following day at 11:30.

Commissioners Browne and Edwards had no reports.

Ponce said he had a report. "I was a little taken aback that Gila Regional Medical Center had hired an associate administrator. It's gnawing at me that we go to Santa Fe, we talk to our legislators, we tell them we need some bills passed. It's still up in the air whether our governor will sign them or not. She hasn't signed anything yet. We asked for help with money for Gila Regional. When we were the governing board, we brought up things about morale issues. Nothing hits morale more than having employees not up to the $15 mark. They are doing an analysis on pay scales. And then, all of a sudden, there is a new position coming into the hospital. That's very disheartening for me. We have equipment issues. We need to focus on morale issues. Maybe in March once I get a little more information, I'll ask the Board of Trustees to discuss this. We need to provide the best services to our Grant County residents, as well as Hidalgo and Catron counties. Some of that 140 days of cash in reserves needs to go to our employees. I should leave it there and leave it to the Board of Trustees."

The meeting adjourned.