ORCNM’s Initiatives and Impact in New Mexico
GRANTS, N.M. TDuring the September Cibola County Commission Meeting, Shawna Hartley, a licensed clinical social worker, addressed the commission leaders with the latest data and initiatives of the Opioid Remediation Collaborative of New Mexico (ORCNM). Hartley opened the presentation by reviewing overdose statistics.
Hartley explained that in 2023, 949 people died of an overdose in New Mexico. While the 2024 data reflected a decrease of 173 deaths, New Mexico’s national ranking for overdose deaths has worsened, rising from seventh to fourth highest in the country. “Even though our numbers are trending down, we are actually moving up when it comes to the highest overdose deaths in the country,” Hartley noted.
Local data from Cibola County indicates a steady increase in overdoses over the past six years, with 10 deaths reported in 2025 following a peak of 13 in 2024. Hartley emphasized the shift in substance use trends, explaining that most fatal overdoses now involve drugs mixed with fentanyl and methamphetamines. “Our prescription monitoring systems are working, Hartley said, “however, the opiates that people are dying from in New Mexico are oftentimes mixed with fentanyl and methamphetamines. So, what that tells us is that people who are overdosing in New Mexico are purchasing these drugs, probably off the streets.”
The ORCNM has reportedly focused on implementing support systems and resources, including its triage hotline, 988, which received 400 calls from Cibola County residents between July 2025 and April 2026. About 70% of those calls required intervention from a licensed clinician. “No longer can we say in our rural counties… that we don’t have 24-hour support,” Hartley said. The organization has also launched a digital therapeutic app available free to community members, offering 24/7 support from peers with lived experience as well as connections to crisis services.
According to Hartley, prevention and outreach have become key priorities for the collaborative. ORCNM is sponsoring free entry for families to local sporting events and distributing youth-created prevention materials at home games. The youth volunteers have been actively involved in the initiative.
Another major focus has been the expansion of harm reduction strategies, including Narcan distribution. Hartley explained that Cibola County was the first in the state to participate in the program, installing four community-access boxes and distributing 69 Narcan kits to date. Hartely addressed the importance of the life-saving medication, saying, “You can’t help someone that is dead. And I would just say that Narcan is a life-saving medication for people that take too many opiates. For whatever reason, the why behind that is really not important.” ORCNM has invested $20,000 in Narcan to ensure law enforcement and emergency personnel are equipped to respond to opioid overdoses.
Looking ahead, ORCNM is pushing funding to establish low-barrier drop-in resource centers across nine counties. These centers would provide immediate access to services such as housing support, insurance enrollment, peer counseling, and connections to behavioral health care without the need for appointments. “It really gives communities just a good resource,” Hartley said.
Funding from national opioid settlements will continue over the next decade or more, with various settlements ending between 2029 and 2038. ORCNM is working closely with the state auditor’s office to ensure collaborative reporting and transparency in how the funds are used.