Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Pathways - Capacity Builders, Inc. (CBI) proposes the Generation Hózhó: Behavioral Health Career Pathways Initiative (GH-BHCPI) to address severe shortages in the behavioral health workforce across rural tribal-serving areas of San Juan and McKinley Counties, New Mexico, two of the state’s most underserved regions. San Juan County has a population of 120,675, of which 43% identify as American Indian, while McKinley County is 75.1% American Indian, predominantly Navajo and Zuni. Both counties are HRSA-designated rural areas with high poverty rates (35.7% in McKinley County), low median household incomes, and limited access to broadband and behavioral health care. New Mexico meets only 18.99% of its mental health care needs, far below the national average of 26.74%. These shortages are compounded by high youth rates of depression (23%) and substance use (16%), and by the widespread impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which affect over 27% of youth statewide. GH-BHCPI will introduce at least 200 youth in grades 6–12 to behavioral health career pathways through a culturally grounded, trauma-informed, and community-based model. The initiative is anchored in the Diné concept of Hózhó, a traditional philosophy of wellness, balance, and interconnection, and is designed to foster healing, resilience, and leadership among youth in tribal-serving rural areas. Over a three-year period, GH-BHCPI will implement school-based outreach, peer mentorship, dual-credit opportunities, and Community Health Worker (CHW) certification programs co-developed with tribal colleges. Implementation will be led by CBI and the Next Generation Behavioral Health Network (NGBHN), a regional consortium of education institutions, tribal colleges, behavioral health agencies, and youth-serving organizations. Year 1 will focus on planning activities, including MOUs, focus groups with youth and stakeholders, culturally responsive curriculum development, and infrastructure set-up. Years 2 and 3 will include full-scale programming in schools and community settings. Youth will participate in Behavioral Health Career Exposure, gain access to culturally affirming curriculum aligned with state education standards, and lead mental health awareness initiatives through Youth Leadership Coalitions (YLCs). Students will receive mentorship from Indigenous professionals, support with financial aid navigation, and exposure to CHW, peer support, and other entry-level certifications. The initiative also addresses access barriers such as transportation and broadband limitations by delivering programming in accessible community hubs and offering stipends, printed materials, and offline learning tools. Special emphasis will be placed on cultural continuity through mentorship, traditional storytelling, and community ceremonies that build youth confidence and belonging. To ensure long-term sustainability, GH-BHCPI will embed its programming into school and college systems, formalize MOUs for shared investment, train youth to become peer facilitators, and disseminate a Behavioral Health Pathways Toolkit for regional replication. Evaluation and performance reporting will track academic outcomes, leadership growth, and career readiness, while also measuring collective impact across the network. GH-BHCPI offers a cost-effective, culturally relevant, and scalable model to build the next generation of behavioral health professionals in the region.
