Minutes February 2025

Feb 27, 2025

Southwestern abstract landscape

New Mexico Social Work Consortium

February Meeting

02.27.25

Present: Jamii Corley, Melissa Moyer, Eric Moore, Kaity Ellis, Hector Diaz, Estilla Lightfoot, Amy Russell, Anna Nelson, Kristin Oreskovich, Mary Nienow, Yolanda Cordova, Valerie Valles-Pedroza, Patti West-Okiri, Jerry Harrison, Karen Canaday, Stacie Ortiz, Joey Jimenez, Jen Panhorst, Emma Gamelsky, Kim Knox, Tony Bobadilla, Eli Fresquez, Reba Serafin, Carolyn Tollett, Alvin (by phone), ali Sillas

Approval of Agenda & Minutes

Agenda – Ellis/Nienow

Minutes – Cordova/Nienow

New attendee introductions

LHHS Legislative Update provided by Canaday

  • Bx health legislative action day 02.26.25.
    • SHB1 was not heard yesterday, several CYFD bills have been in play. Senate bills 1, 2, and 3 are still progressing. The bipartisanship is impressive
    • Office of Special Education has a bill on the floor today. Traveling with dignity bill for changing tables being installed. Restraint on exclusion bill is still in process (Ellis)
    • The CYFD bills (8) are not proposed by CYFD, rather the agency is opposing several of them. Some of them are focused on transparency, such as settlement payout amounts. Rep. Chavez has sponsored a bill to have CYFD become a commission. Telehealth bill had language BSW and MSWs could provide services without supervision – this has been addressed (Sallee)
    • Attended legislative day yesterday and sat in on HB 375 – the Graduate Bx Health Scholarship Act – req. $10 mil. It made it through committee (7-3) but was not added and she does not know the fate of this bill (Nienow)
    • CYFD commission will not jeopardize NM’s Title IV-E funding – this is a massive funding source for state child welfare work and social work education. This is a clarification provided by Sallee after CYFD has begun circulating a letter to this effect. Other states have restructured this way and had success. This is a constitutional amendment removing the commission from the Office of the Governor. The governor will appoint one member (HJR5).

Workgroup report outs

·         Capacity Building – Kim Knox

  • Met this month. We are in discussion around comprehending capacity in terms of workforce to focus efforts (rather than higher education). Where could we gather workforce data from? Questionnaire for SOWK workforce needs to be distributed. The bottlenecking of clinical supervision in social work could be a significant issue for workforce needs. Bobadilla has experience in this area and would be interested in supporting the CB Action Team in exploring this issue.

·         Professional Isolation and Advocacy – Carolyn Tollett

  • Met this month. Research on social isolation – telehealth services have reduced the perception of isolation of social work professionals. National actions have created a chaotic, and distracting environment – to which we have responded with a closer focus on the state level efforts to impact change.

·         Licensure

  • Met this month. Discussion on LFC hearing on bx health. Sec of HED spoke on SOWK licensing and spread inaccuracies to the committee (pass rates, etc) to which the committee drafted a response to clarify.
    • Motion to send this letter: Moyer/Lightfoot

Updates from New Mexico Schools of Social Work

  • ENMU
    • Pending HRSA and City partnership
  • NMHU
    • Actively recruiting for bilingual and bicultural program
    • Planning activities for Native American Institute
    • Provost has returned to faculty status – there is an active search and they are currently operating under an interim
    • Center for SOWK Excellence:
      • Thank you to all who encouraged participation in SANA
      • Next month is 2nd annual SOWK education summit in ABQ at CNM workforce training center (https://fvssw.org/cesw/)
  • NMSU
  • UNM
    • Loved attending SANA and heartening to see the SOWK schools working together to make this happen
    • Main shares:
      • Will be a standalone program – not a collaborative program with either NMSU or NMHU
      • to be housed in school of medicine at UNM
      • looking at Fall 2026 admissions (tentatively)
  • WNMU
    • Submitting response to BOA for reaffirmation of MSW program
    • Strong messaging provided to students around the national discourse
    • Grant initiatives underway: CEUs, international work, conference attendance, book publication, and so much more!
    • Also dealing with a lower enrollment than years’ past but it is consistent with other schools

New Business:

·         Response letter on HED testimony – affirmed by consortium and will be sent to the HED Secretary (see above)

·         Workforce discussion

  • Cordova: university call out for workforce development. This could be related to a grant she is working with on the Center for Excellence for workforce development. If you have a project targeting that effort, please send the lead faculty to Yolanda Castro. WNMU’s recruitment strategy is a part of their endowment funds received – WNMU is funded to develop and support a pipeline to SOWK education. Can any of the schools share information on their recruitment practices with Yolanda (opportunity youth, dislocated workers, return to work) – exploring an alternative pathway for those who struggle to get into workforce
    • There are existing efforts within NMHU school of social work, grounded in story telling of faculty, current students, and community members to exploring the notion of this field as a professional path. Across the state (where NMHU has brick and mortar presence) efforts where outreach teams are sent out weekly.
  • Office of Special Education is focusing on parent engagement (see attached flyers) to support higher education efforts. In the face of Title IV risk, strong IEPs are needed to ensure students have the resources they need to support ongoing educational pursuits

Announcements/Member Comments (workforce needs, concerns, and opportunities)

  • Nothing today

Adjourn at 10:09

Tollett/Diaz

Attachments

Revised letter to secretaryDownload

Dr. Melissa Moyer, LCSW
MSW Program Director/Associate Professor
College of Business Room 183

Registration – Social Work Education Summit 2Download