Chapin Hall

Listening to Communities to Strengthen Family Services in New Mexico

The Anna, Age Eight Institute (AAEI) at New Mexico State University and Chapin Hall partnered to support the New Mexico Child and Family Services System Blueprint, a statewide initiative launched through the New Mexico Legislature to strengthen vital services across the state drawing on deep local input. “Informing a New Mexico Child and Family Services System Blueprint: Shared challenges and solutions to inform policy and practice” is the latest report in this effort.

What We Did

Using county-based survey data about barriers faced by residents accessing six services—medical and dental care, child care, housing assistance, food assistance, transportation, and behavioral health care—as a launching point, AAEI, Chapin Hall, and government partners conducted Town Halls and focus groups in seven counties. More than 490 providers and residents participated.

The Chapin Hall team led data collection, analysis, and synthesis for the Blueprint. Town Halls were held with service providers and focus groups with residents to gather firsthand accounts of barriers to accessing services and community-identified solutions. Chapin Hall researchers transcribed and systematically coded the sessions, combining predefined categories within the service sectors to additional themes that emerged from the data. Focus groups with residents were held in six languages.

What We Found

Participants described systems that are fragmented, under-resourced, and difficult to navigate. Residents identified specific barriers including complex eligibility criteria, lengthy application processes, documentation requirements, limited service hours, and transportation challenges. Workforce shortages affect nearly every sector. Transportation and housing barriers compound challenges to accessing other services, including ability to retain workforce in other sectors such as child care and medical care. Residents reported staff interactions that increased their feelings of shame and stigma while seeking help.

The research brief documents county-level findings alongside cross-cutting themes and community-generated solutions. Chapin Hall’s analysis points to several important directions for policy, including:

• Reduce disincentives for families to pursue training and education that would lead to more livable income; for example, fear of losing critical family benefits associated with modest gains in income
• Remove obstacles to retaining medical providers in the state
• Strengthen workforce recruitment and retention through continuing or enhancing incentive programs, workforce housing, school-to-work pipeline, and wage increases
• Bolster crisis services in mental health, addiction, and housing
• Reexamine eligibility for food assistance and housing that takes into account essential household expenses necessary to live and work, for example, car payments
• Raise expectations of the service workforce to provide high-quality, accurate and non-shaming customer service for families seeking assistance in times of need.

What it Means

The findings from this effort will inform specific policy recommendations developed through the Blueprint. The goal is to produce actionable policy recommendations to improve service accessibility across the state.

This work reflects Chapin Hall’s commitment to translating community voice into evidence that policymakers and practitioners can act on. To learn more about this work, contact Julie McCrae or Brooke DiPetrillo