'Pairing the right first responder to the appropriate emergency.' Officials tout federal dollars meant for crisis response

LAS CRUCES – City officials met with Sen. Ben Ray Luján Tuesday to tout over $1 million in federal dollars that are meant to bolster the city's non-police crisis response.

City Councilor Johana Bencomo joined U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján and Las Cruces Fire Chief Jason Smith in highlighting the funding and discussing how and where it would be spent. The money was earmarked by the Democratic members of the state's federal delegation in last year's Omnibus Appropriations bill. Former congresswoman Yvette Herrell voted agasint the bill. 

The money would go to the Las Cruces Fire Department and be spent on programs responding to medical and mental health emergencies such as welfare checks, intoxication, overdoses, suicide attempts and other behavioral health issues.

"I really believe that (these programs) are about pairing the right first responder to the appropriate emergency," Bencomo said. "I think that saves lives."

According to LCFD Mobile Integrated Healthcare Coordinator Paul Ford, about 70 percent of the fire department's 23,000 calls for service involve people in medical or mental health distress.

The money is only spendable once the federal government releases it to the City, which would dole it out to LCFD. Fire Chief Smith could not say when he expected LCFD would receive that money when asked by Sun-News. 

But one project the money would help support is the long-awaited Project L.I.G.H.T. (Lessen the Incidence of Grief, Harm and Trauma.)

The project, operated by the fire department, would send social workers to calls involving behavior problems, suicidal ideation, welfare checks and overdoses. LCFD has already hired the 10-member team and plans to launch the program sometime before the end of March 2023.

Allison Stoner, a social worker and member of the project, said the key to success for the program would be meeting patients where they're at.

"To be able to approach folks in their home, oftentimes at their highest level of need, is really where this program thrives," Stoner said.

Las Cruces residents are no strangers to the tragic consequences of failed responses to mental health calls.

Last year, an LCPD officer shot and killed 75-year-old Amelia Baca 38 seconds after making contact with her. Baca's daughter called the police minutes before because her mother was in the throes of a mental health crisis and had two kitchen knives in her hand.

According to a spokesperson, the state Attorney General's Officer has yet to determine whether to prosecute the officer who killed Baca. The City settled a multi-million dollar lawsuit with Baca's family last year, despite no decision on prosecution.

It's instances like this those officials hope this money will help prevent.

But when asked by the Sun-News, Luján acknowledged that much of the work LCFD does is akin to triage. The lack of resources and lack of access to care that create the need for crisis triage need addressing, Luján said.

"More is needed, and more must be done. There is an absolute shortage in New Mexico and across America," Luján said.

Justin Garcia is a public safety reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached by email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com or on Twitter at @Just516garc.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Officials tout federal dollars meant for crisis response