Community Care Collective

Long Term Solutions for Youth Mental Health

Community Care Collective’s goal is to improve the wellbeing of youth in New Mexico. Through professional development, paid behavioral health career development, mentorship and peer support, young people can strengthen their own schools and communities, while becoming the future behavioral health professionals we need. Community Care Collective’s work is informed by active experts in the education community and Behavioral Health workforce.

Get In Touch

Training & Professional Development

Career Pathways  Program

Advocacy for  Youth  Wellbeing

The Collective in Action

Students Lead Mental Health Initiative at Jemez Valley

Jamila Toya and Abby Garcia, students at Jemez Valley High School, walk into their school library to lead a mental health peer support group. As teen leaders, they’re advocating for more mental health resources in their school and beyond. Watch the video to see how Jamila and Abby are creating meaningful change.

Watch The Story

0

behavioral health & human
services pathways interns
& pre-apprentices

0

students trained in
Teen Mental Health First Aid

0

staff trained in
Youth Mental Health
First Aid

We're thrilled to be a 2025 Grantee Partner for Decolonizing Wealth Project's inaugural Youth Mental Health Fund (YMHF)! We look forward to continuing to work with youth in addressing youth mental health in New Mexico through this partnership. Stay tuned for more!

Training & Professional Development

Youth and Teen Mental Health First Aid
Evidence-based, nationally recognized training designed to teach your community how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health challenges.

Nurtured Heart Approach® Training
A relationship-based approach to the way we interact with youth. Shifting focus away from negativity to recognizing and amplifying strengths fosters resilience, self-regulation, and confidence for all ages.

Customized Professional Development
Including trauma-responsive practices, Social Emotional Learning, and custom training for youth mental health and youth led initiatives.

Request Training Information

Career Pathways & Internships

Youth Mental Health Group Internships
Training and certification in Teen Mental Health First Aid help youth develop vital skills to support peer mental health. Interns have opportunities to collaborate on statewide programs, services, and policy related to mental health and wellbeing, while exploring behavioral health careers.

Behavioral Health Career Pathways
Behavioral Health Career Pathways Program is a pre-apprenticeship experience that positions young people to lead solutions now and grow Behavioral Health access and services for the future.

Employer Partners
Community partners include employers, nonprofits, and others interested in hosting a pre-apprentice. Youth are placed with community-based organizations and take on meaningful roles that contribute to real-world impact.

Become a Host Site

Advocacy for Youth Wellbeing

Advisory Group
Community members in higher education, employer partners, licensed clinicians, New Mexico state representatives, current pathway participants, and community organizers work together to advance the goals of the Collective through policy recommendations.

Youth Behavioral Health Council
High school and post-secondary youth from around New Mexico identify and advance recommendations for youth behavioral health workforce development such as Behavioral Health Career Pathways and apprenticeship opportunities.

Together, we envision a youth-led, healing-focused behavioral health system grounded in equity and intergenerational leadership.

Read 2026 Policy Recommendations