Santa Fe, N.M. – Human Services Department Cabinet Secretary David R. Scrase, M.D. announces the appointment of Neal A. Bowen, Ph.D. as the new director for the Behavioral Health Services Division (BHSD) beginning November 15, 2019.
“Given the history of what’s happened in behavioral health in New Mexico over the past eight years, our first priority was to recruit a strong leader from the behavioral health provider community,” said David R. Scrase, M.D. cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Human Services Department. “We believe that having a leader that’s experienced as a provider will help BHSD more effectively connect with our behavioral health provider community and will substantially enhance our ability to bring up new providers into practice. BHSD’s first goal is to rebuild the behavioral health provider network in the state of New Mexico, and we believe that Dr. Bowen is exactly the right person for the job.”
Neal A. Bowen, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in New Mexico. He has served as the chief mental health officer for Hidalgo Medical Services for over 14-years, growing a Mental Health Department that’s integrated into a Community Health Clinic. New Mexico Primary Care Association named him the Behavioral Health Provider of the Year in 2011. He has clinical experience with adolescent and adult assessment and psychotherapy. He was an adjunct professor at Western New Mexico University for five years and taught psychology at Central Washington University for three years. Over the years, he has served on various boards such as: New Mexico Advocates for Social Justice, New Mexico Counseling Association, New Mexico Primary Care Association and is currently serving as secretary and board member for the New Mexico Behavioral Health Provider Association. Dr. Bowen has a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. He’s fluent in Spanish, Italian and English and has intermediate language skills in French.
“It is an honor to serve the wonderful people of New Mexico as the director of the state’s Behavioral Health Services Division,” said Neal A. Bowen, Ph.D. “I am pleased to build on 14-years of experience helping to construct a behavioral health system in southwest New Mexico. By listening and supporting the richly diverse communities of our state, in collaboration with users of the behavioral health system, policy makers, behavioral health providers and managed care organizations – I feel confident an accessible, coordinated, reliable, and innovative behavioral health system can be developed. There are beautiful opportunities and work before us. Si, se puede.”
“HSD is fortunate to have found Dr. Bowen, who has such a diversified background and extensive behavioral health experience,” said Angela Medrano, deputy cabinet secretary for New Mexico Human Services Department.
The Human Services Department provides services and benefits to more than 1 million New Mexicans through several programs including: the Medicaid Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Child Support Program, and several Behavioral Health Services.