In 2005, Governor Bill Richardson implemented a Zero Tolerance Policy for abuse, neglect, and exploitation of adults in New Mexico. As a result, the Aging and Long-Term Services Department created the Adult Abuse Prevention and Education Section (AAPES) and Behavioral Health Team (BH) to enhance its system of protection services.

Both AAPES and BH share an objective to raise community awareness through education, outreach, and training.

The AAPES focus is on making the very invisible problem of abuse, neglect, and exploitation, more visible to behavioral health, social service, and medical care providers, law enforcement, the judicial system, and private individuals throughout the state. This bold initiative also will serve to support criminal investigations and prosecution of cases of abuse.

Many consumers who are identified through the Adult Protective Services also are people with behavioral health problems. Many have been overlooked in a system that historically has not adequately addressed the behavioral health needs of older adults.

AAPES and BH are working with the New Mexico Behavioral Health Collaborative to increase awareness of the needs of older adults and to address the barriers to services for older and disabled populations.

AAPES and BH are providing training in a variety of medical, social service, and clinical settings on recognizing and reporting abuse, neglect, and exploitation as well as increasing awareness of behavioral health problems of older adults, and working on more effective community-based responses.