ORCNM tailors local strategies

The Opiate Response Consortium of New Mexico (ORCNM) is shifting its approach to better serve the unique needs of communities like Socorro, according to Executive Director Shauna Hartley. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model across its seven member counties, the consortium is now empowering each county to develop its own targeted strategies to address substance use and behavioral health.

For this fiscal year, each county manager is identifying local priorities and approaches.

“One strategy is better triaging individuals that have substance use or behavioral health issues in their communities,” Hartley said.

That focus centers on supporting Puerto Seguro Safe Harbor, a long-standing drop-in center in Socorro that provides critical support for people in need. ORCNM is funding the salary of a navigator at the center—a position dedicated to connecting individuals with treatment, housing and other vital resources.

For Puerto Seguro, the partnership has been a lifeline. Shay Kelley, board chair at Puerto Seguro Safe Harbor, said the center has struggled to cover basic operational expenses despite having several program-specific grants for certain projects, such as the youth and young adult center, the warming and cooling centers and food programs.

“Those funds can’t be used for anything except what they’re designated for,” Kelley said. “Where we’ve been struggling is with undesignated funds, which cover the cost of overhead—salaries, insurance, utilities, those types of things.”

Kelley said private donations, which traditionally cover overhead, have dropped sharply in the past year, leaving the organization in a precarious position.

“It doesn’t matter how much money we have for programs if we don’t have staff to run those programs,” she said. “We were really at a critical mass.”

When ORCNM stepped in, it made a decisive difference.

“The ORC started working with us at the end of last year and realized how critical things were,” Kelley said. “Their partnership with us is really going to help allow us to continue to keep the programs running that we’re doing. We really couldn’t do it without them.”

In addition to supporting Puerto Seguro, Hartley said ORCNM partnered with UnitedHealthcare to apply for a grant that could further sustain the center’s operations and even help launch a similar drop-in center in Cibola County.

“We’re hopeful this grant will support both operational and startup costs,” she said.

Statewide, Hartley noted, overdose data shows encouraging signs.

“Starting in 2021, the numbers have been declining each year,” she said, citing Department of Health data that, though two years behind, reflects progress. Still, fentanyl and methamphetamine continue to drive overdose deaths in New Mexico.

“What that tells us is that people are not being prescribed opiates in New Mexico, but people who are overdosing are more likely purchasing synthetic opiates from the streets, and they might not know that fentanyl and methamphetamine are also in that,” she said.

ORCNM has also launched two mobile apps to make prevention and recovery resources more accessible. The ORC Connections app provides information, screening tools, and 24/7 peer support for those struggling with substance use. A companion app offers similar resources for friends and family supporting loved ones in recovery.

The consortium is also investing in prevention through youth engagement. Hartley highlighted the newly formed Youth Council, open to young people from ORCNM’s seven counties and currently seeking a representative from Socorro County. The council is developing prevention materials to distribute at local sporting events.

“We want to empower youth to be leaders in prevention,” Hartley said.

The council is also partnering with New Mexico Move, a statewide program through New Mexico State University, to align with a national youth prevention model. ORCNM hopes to host a multi-county youth event in 2026.

Unlike state-funded programs, ORCNM operates through a collaborative of seven counties that have pooled their opioid settlement funds to maximize impact.

“We’re contractors for the counties, reimbursed through their settlement dollars,” Hartley said.

By focusing on local needs, Hartley hopes to build stronger, more sustainable support systems—from prevention and youth engagement to treatment and recovery.