'Big win' for Curry County project

• Youth substance use,

mental health program

earns $1.1 million grant.

Curry County’s Substance Use Prevention and Mental Health Project has earned a “big win” – a $1.1 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, officials said.

County Grant Administrator and Preventionist Kristian Price presented the news to the Curry County Commission on Tuesday. Price said the county has been applying for this award for nearly three years and recently learned of its success.

“This is money really well spent and this is a really big win for the county,” Commissioner Brad Bender said.

Price said the three main objectives for the funds are cannabis prevention, opioid prevention and mental health education for youth 11 to 17 and young adults 18 to 24.

The money will be paid out – contingent upon funding availability – over five years, Price said.

Data provided by Price based on a study conducted within Curry County in 2021:

• Middle schoolers who have used cannabis are 4.8% and 3% actively use the drug.

• About 11% of Curry County middle schoolers use medical prescriptions improperly.

• 14.9% of county high schoolers used cannabis, with 13.5% actively using it.

• 16.5% of high schoolers had used prescription pain medication without prescription.

Price also said in a study conducted in 2020 by the Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey the state of New Mexico had the highest drug overdose deaths in the nation at 39%. That was up from a 24.6% recording in 2017.

“It’s a pretty severe thing and we’re seeing a lot more substance use in our community. But we are also seeing a lot more increase in suicidal and mental health behaviors,” Price said.

She said the county beats the state’s average when it comes to middle schoolers who have attempted suicide. The county averages about 12.2%, while the state is at 11.9%. The percentage is even higher for high schoolers within the county, standing at 19.5% which beats the U.S. average of 17%, Price said.

She said statistics prove substance abuse and mental health issues are “very prevalent in our community and important that we get something in place now so that we can try to intervene …”

Price said the first year’s funds will be used in expanding the project while also seeking a community program manager and community program coordinator to perform the duties of the grant. She said the project plans to serve about 3,000 individuals annually.

Commissioners unanimously approved accepting the funds.

In other items of business at Tuesday’s meeting:

• Oct. 1-7 was declared National 4-H Week in Curry County. The week will promote the activities in which the program inspires 4-H children and empowers them with skills. The commission also declared Monday as National Custodial Workers Recognition Day.

• The commission voted in favor of a request for Advanced Tower Services LLC to install a communications tower in the Field Volunteer Fire Department. Cost is $269,973.66. Request to repair the county line fire truck for $2,346 was also approved.