Connect & Care New Mexico: Building Cross-System Infrastructure for Youth Suicide Prevention and Continuity of Care - Connect & Care New Mexico is a statewide youth suicide prevention and early intervention initiative that helps schools, healthcare providers, and community partners identify risk early, respond effectively, and refer youth to timely support. The project strengthens developmentally appropriate screening, brief assessment, referral, follow-up, and continuity of care in settings that regularly serve youth while building on existing New Mexico investments in school health, suicide prevention, and workforce development. The project will be implemented statewide in New Mexico, where youth suicide burden remains high, with implementation support directed to school, pediatric healthcare, behavioral health, and other community-based settings that routinely encounter youth at risk. Current gaps across these settings include uneven screening, limited follow-through after risk is identified, insufficient data on referral outcomes, and weak coordination across schools, healthcare providers, and community partners. The population of focus is youth and young adults at elevated risk because of behavioral health needs, geographic isolation, social vulnerability, and barriers to timely support and care. The project will support youth ages 10-24 through universal and targeted suicide risk screening paired with coordinated response, referral, follow-up, and continuity-of-care supports across school-based health centers, school health services, and community referral pathways. Care to Classroom is a school-linked coordination model developed by project partners and now being piloted in New Mexico to strengthen communication, support navigation across systems, and improve care transitions after behavioral health crises or other identified needs. It will strengthen three core systems-school-based health centers, school health services, and behavioral health and crisis transition supports—by serving as the coordination framework for suicide prevention and early intervention. For older youth ages 18–24, the model will also be adapted for community colleges, workforce programs, and other settings serving transition-age youth. Key strategies include strengthening suicide-specific screening and early intervention protocols using validated tools and evidence-informed practices; building a coordinated response and continuity-of-care system; adding family- and community-facing prevention supports, including navigation resources and lethal-means safety strategies; expanding workforce capacity through training and partner-supported dissemination; and improving data collection and CQI. Objectives focus on increasing suicide screening, strengthening timely response and continuity of care, expanding workforce capacity, and improving data systems for CQI. Implementation will be supported through training, technical assistance, coaching, and CQI. By improving communication, workflow, and follow-through across settings, the project will reduce missed opportunities for early intervention after suicide risk is identified and build sustainable statewide infrastructure for prevention and coordinated care. Overall, Connect & Care New Mexico is designed to reduce youth suicide risk by strengthening prevention, early intervention, and coordinated continuity of care across school, pediatric healthcare, and community support systems. The project requests 5 years of funding to improve early identification, timely referral to care, and sustained follow-up for youth at risk.
