Project Summary

The New Mexico First Health: Body, Mind, and Spirit Town Hall was a series of remote seminars hosted in August and September 2020 and was dedicated to nonpartisan discussion, consensus, and action to initiate positive policy change at the state level.

In the 6 months leading up to the town hall, New Mexico First hosted 17 statewide community conversations. Over 300 New Mexicans discussed issues relevant to health in their communities. Their lived experience and good thinking informed the background reports and the town hall proceedings.

During the Town Hall, nearly 250 participants came together to learn more about health: body, mind & spirit from speakers presenting at the plenary sessions and from each other throughout the event. Collaboratively, they developed 18 consensus-based recommendations. Learn more about the process and the findings below!

The town hall recommendations have been, and will continue to be advocated to policymakers and private-sector leaders.

Implementation work was spearheaded by four action teams comprised of volunteers from communication conversations, the town hall series, and other stakeholders who have missions that are aligned with the consensus-backed recommendations and strategies. Each action team met monthly to strengthen collaboration to advance recommendations and strategies. In August, 2021, the four teams merged and the Health: Body, Mind & Spirit Town Hall Implementation Team will continue the good work moving forward. More details below.

Join us! If you would like to help with our health advocacy efforts by joining the implementation team, please email sharon@nmfirst.org.


Meetings

The Health: Body, Mind & Spirit Town Hall Implementation Team met monthly starting in October 2020. The final meeting will take place on December 9, 2021 at 3:30 pm. All welcome! Please contact sharon@nmfirst.org for meeting details.

New Mexico First built on the work of the 2020 Health: Body, Mind & Spirit Town Hall by holding the health mini-forum series in May 2021. During each of the four two-hour events, Town Hall recommendations lay the foundation to focus on upcoming policy and systems change efforts. Community voices helped guide the work. Registration was free.