LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE
The Health Care Authority’s mission is: We ensure that New Mexicans attain their highest level of health by providing whole-person, cost-effective, accessible, and high-quality health care and safety-net services.
Individual Safety and Advocacy
The Individual Safety and Advocacy (BISA) Bureau: Ensuring the Rights and Safety of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Recipients
The DDSD Individual Safety and Advocacy Bureau is a newly formed bureau responsible for providing support to individuals receiving HCBS, including abuse neglect and exploitation prevention activities, administering the Regional Office Requests for Assistance system, ensuring Fair Hearings rights, Health and Wellness visits and completing home visits for former Foley Class Members.
Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation (ANE) Prevention Unit
Administers and provides support for ANE prevention activities. The aim is to improve supports and overall quality of life for clients by using data and by directly advocating to reduce the risk of ANE incidents.
Call the Adult Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Hotline at 866-654-3219.
OR File a report online.
Visit Division of Health Improvement pages for more information.
Regional Office Requests for Assistance
The Regional Office Requests for Assistance (RORA) system was created to encourage communication with external and internal partners and to provide a forum for requesting assistance, raising concerns, and/or informing DDSD of gaps in service. DDSD will review all submitted RORAs in a timely fashion then strategically employ assistance as necessary. The RORA process is applicable to persons who receive Home and Community Based Services. Stakeholders may submit RORAs via the Electronic RORA Submission form.
Legal Affairs Unit
In 2015, DDSD created the Fair Hearings/Legal Affairs Unit to centralize waiver-related fair hearing matters, to offer opportunities to work towards resolution and assist individuals and families throughout the hearing process. The Legal Affairs Unit receives hearing notices and acknowledgements from the Healthcare Authority – Fair Hearings Bureau, then compiles the Summary of Evidence for the parties and the administrative law judge and works with all interested parties to schedule and conduct an agency review conferences in the hopes of resolving issues efficiently, effectively and prior to a fair hearing.
- Office of Fair Hearings | New Mexico Human Services Department
- Find New Mexico Administrative Code regarding Fairing Hearings (8.290.400 NMAC and 8.352.2. Claimant Hearing) here.
Health and Wellness Visits
Monitor client conditions and aid in service procurement.
Visits for former Foley Class Action Members
Periodic visits are conducted to the homes of former Foley Class members to provide resources and assistance.
Contact information:
Daniel Lucero Bureau Chief
- Email: lucero@hca.nm.gov
- Phone: 505-697-9125
Connie Farnsworth, Operations Support Manager
- Email: farnsworth@hca.nm.gov
- Phone: 505-280-3739
Presley Quintanilla, Legal Affairs Supervisor
- Email: quintanilla@hca.nm.gov
- Phone: 505-249-1791
ANE Prevention Program Manager
- Position currently vacant. For questions regarding DDSD ANE Prevention contact Daniel Lucero, Bureau Chief – Contact information above.