In a groundbreaking move for the state of New Mexico, officials in Bernalillo County, where Albuquerque is located, have opened the Comprehensive Assessment and Resiliency through Excellence (CARE) campus—a 24-hour triage and treatment center designed to provide essential behavioral health services to residents in need. The facility, which began accepting clients on December 2, 2024, is designed to offer an alternative to emergency room visits or incarceration for individuals experiencing mental health crises or substance use disorders.
The CARE campus stands as a vital step forward in how the region is addressing the growing mental health and substance abuse challenges faced by its population. By creating a space where patients can receive immediate and comprehensive care in a supportive environment, the center seeks to make a tangible impact on behavioral health outcomes in the area. More importantly, it aims to bridge the gap in services for people who might otherwise go without treatment, exacerbating their health issues or becoming involved in the criminal justice system.
Meeting the Growing Need for Behavioral Health Care
The opening of the CARE campus comes at a critical time in the U.S., where the need for behavioral health services continues to rise. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), millions of Americans live with mental illnesses or substance use disorders, but access to care remains a significant challenge. For many individuals, the lack of immediate intervention leads to worsening conditions, which often results in encounters with law enforcement or repeated visits to emergency rooms that aren’t equipped to handle complex behavioral health crises.
Bernalillo County, home to Albuquerque and a population of over 600,000, is no exception to this trend. Before the establishment of the CARE campus, patients experiencing mental health crises or substance use issues often had limited options. They could face long wait times in emergency rooms, get arrested and placed in jail, or be left without care altogether. The CARE campus is designed to offer a much-needed solution to this issue by providing immediate access to care and a more appropriate, compassionate environment for individuals in crisis.
By helping patients avoid criminal justice involvement or emergency room visits, the CARE campus also eases the burden on the healthcare and legal systems, freeing up resources for other essential services.
The Vision Behind the CARE Campus
At the core of the CARE campus is its mission to create a supportive, therapeutic environment that helps patients stabilize and begin their journey toward recovery. The facility provides a mix of medical and therapeutic services, combining behavioral health care with social services aimed at addressing social determinants of health—issues like housing, employment, and food insecurity—that often complicate recovery and long-term well-being.
The CARE center occupies a 70,000-square-foot space that was previously home to the Metropolitan Assessment and Treatment Services (MATS) center, which provided adult substance use services, including detox programs, intervention, and aftercare services. While the new CARE facility will continue to operate the detox programs independently, it will share the space with MATS and expand its capacity to provide a broader range of services, including crisis care, case management, and access to behavioral health specialists.
The center has 16 beds spread across a combination of semi-private and private rooms, offering enough space to accommodate patients who need short-term care. The beds are designed to be flexible, allowing for private spaces for those in need of more privacy, as well as spaces conducive to group therapy and other supportive activities. The campus is specifically designed with the intent to provide immediate care to individuals in crisis, ensuring that no one falls through the cracks of the existing system.
Collaboration with the University of New Mexico Hospital
In an effort to provide comprehensive care, the CARE campus has partnered with the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNM Hospital) to offer a range of medical services on-site. This collaboration is designed to address the complex health needs of individuals seeking care at the center, ensuring they receive both physical and mental health services in an integrated, holistic manner.
As part of this partnership, UNM Hospital will offer a variety of on-site medical services to CARE patients, including diagnostic testing, physical exams, and other critical healthcare services. The hospital is also planning to build a larger facility on the campus in the near future, further expanding the resources available to the center’s clients.
Through this collaboration, the CARE center aims to reduce the fragmentation of care that often occurs when individuals must seek out different providers for physical and behavioral health needs. By offering a one-stop-shop for immediate care, the center is streamlining the process for patients, making it easier for them to access the services they need when they need them most.
Serving a Broad Spectrum of Clients
While the center is designed primarily to offer services for individuals in behavioral health crises, its broader mission is to create a more accessible and inclusive system of care that can serve many different types of patients. Initially, the CARE center is only receiving referrals from UNM Hospital, but the goal is to expand the range of referral sources as the program develops.
Eventually, the center will accept referrals from police officers, firefighters, family members, and even self-admissions, allowing individuals to seek care on their own terms without having to go through other healthcare or legal systems. This flexibility is particularly important, as it allows the center to meet people where they are in their recovery journey. Whether someone is referred by law enforcement, their family, or through their own initiative, the CARE center is designed to be a safe and welcoming place for people seeking support.
Patients can stay in the center for up to two weeks, receiving care and treatment designed to stabilize their condition and connect them with ongoing support. During their stay, each patient is assigned a therapist and a case manager who work with them to develop an exit plan. This plan involves addressing key social determinants of health, such as housing, employment, and access to ongoing behavioral health services. The goal is to ensure that when patients leave the center, they are better equipped to navigate the challenges of daily life and continue their recovery with the necessary supports in place.
A Vision for the Future
The opening of the CARE campus represents a major step forward for behavioral health care in Bernalillo County, but it is just the beginning. County officials and healthcare providers hope that the success of the center will serve as a model for other communities facing similar challenges with mental health and substance abuse crises. The partnership with UNM Hospital and the collaborative nature of the center’s services offer a promising vision for the future of integrated care—one that can be replicated in other areas in need.
As the center expands its services and continues to work toward incorporating additional referral sources, it is poised to make a significant impact on behavioral health outcomes in the area. For individuals experiencing mental health or substance use crises, the CARE campus offers a lifeline—an opportunity to get the help they need when they need it most, and to begin a path toward recovery and resiliency.
