The Department of Health works with New Mexicans so you can be healthy, safe and strong. Our eight program divisions: offer information and services so you can make smart lifestyle choices; protect you and your community by preventing the spread of disease and preparing for health emergencies; and provide support and advocacy for people with disabilities and those who need care in a facility and counseling services to help you overcome depression, substance abuse or other behavioral health hurdles

Division of Health Improvement
Ensures individuals receive quality care in New Mexico's long-term care and health facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes, and adult day cares, by assuring licensing and other requirements are met and responding to complaints of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The division investigated 3,620 complaints in health-care facilities in 2005.
The division's programs include:
. The Caregivers Criminal History Screening Program
. The Employee Abuse Registry

Developmental Disabilities Supports Division
Provides community-based vocational, rehabilitative and other therapy services to improve the quality of life and increase the independence of people with developmental disabilities. Also works with children at risk for developmental delay or disability and their families.
Programs include:
. Developmental Disabilities Waiver
. The Medically Fragile Waiver
. The Family, Infant and Toddler Program

Behavioral Health Services Division
Provides comprehensive behavioral health treatment and prevention for New Mexicans. This includes ensuring that appropriate care is easily accessible, especially to adults and families most in need of mental health and substance abuse services.
The division's programs include:
. Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment
. Tobacco and alcohol merchant training
. Veteran support
See also the site for New Mexico's Behavioral Health Collaborative

Public Health Division
Provides essential public health services that prevent disability, disease, and premature death through its 50 public health offices, contractors, and community partnerships.
Programs include:
. Childhood Immunizations
. Women, Infants and Children Program
. Border Health
. Tobacco Use Control and Prevention
. STD screening/treatment
. Needle exchange/harm reduction
. Infectious disease prevention
. HIV/AIDS programs and waiver

Scientific Laboratory Division
The sole public health, environmental, and drug laboratory for New Mexico. Tests for infectious diseases threatening people, livestock and wildlife and for hazardous materials and pollutants in our water, air and milk. Also tests for drugs in DWI criminal cases and for autopsy cases. Over the course of a year, the lab performs more than 500,000 tests on nearly 200,000 samples.
Programs include:
. Breath alcohol test training and instrument maintenance
. Inspecting private dairy testing and water testing laboratories
. Testing for infectious disease outbreaks in biological or chemical terrorism incidents

Division of Policy and Performance
The Division of Policy and Performance monitors the health of New Mexico's minority population and works to develop strategies to reduce disparities that may lead to poor health.
. Native American Health Council
. Strategic plan development
. Diversity education

Epidemiology and Response Division
Tracks infectious diseases and health statistics, trains organizations in disease control, responds to public health emergencies and provides vital records services. The division issues 228,000 birth and death certificates and registers 28,000 births and 14,000 deaths each year.
Programs include:
. Bureau of Health Emergency Management
. Disease surveillance
. Vital Records

Facilities Division
Oversees the six State-run facilities that provide long-term, rehabilitative, behavioral health and drug treatment programs.
The facilities are:
. Fort Bayard Medical Center, a 200-bed long-term care facility in Silver City that includes a chemical dependency treatment center.
. New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas, the state psychiatric hospital that offers community mental health services in three counties, a treatment program for male sex offenders, and two long-term care facilities with a total of 167 beds.
. New Mexico Rehabilitation Center in Roswell, which provides physical and occupational therapy, speech and language pathology, social services, and a chemical dependency program.
. New Mexico State Veteran's Home in Truth or Consequences, a 146-bed facility that serves state veterans with nursing care and adult residential care.
. Sequoyah Adolescent Treatment center in Albuquerque, a 36-bed residential treatment facility for male adolescents with a history of violence or a mental disorder that might lead to violence.
. Turquoise Lodge in Albuquerque, a 36-bed treatment center that offers in-patient treatment as well as residential care.