Dear LWVCNM Members,
This is a reminder to please join us tomorrow Wednesday, November 19th at 5pm for the LWVCNM Educational Meeting. We are honored to have Justice Briana Zamora speaking about the Commission on Mental Health and Competency (CMHC). The meeting will be hybrid. In person at the LWVCNM Office Conference Room, 6739 Academy Rd. NE and on Zoom. The Zoom invitation is below.
TOPIC: The Commission on Mental Health and Competency (CMHC)
SPEAKER: Justice Briana Zamora
In 2022, the New Mexico Supreme Court established the Commission on Mental Health and Competency (CMHC) following recommendations from the Mental Health and Competency Steering Committee. The promotion, protection, and restoration of mental health is a vital concern of communities throughout New Mexico because mental health is fundamental to the collective and individual ability to think, emote, interact with others, earn a living, and enjoy meaningful lives.
CMHC’s mission is to enhance access to justice and treatment services for individuals affected by mental health conditions. The Commission’s objectives are to promote fair treatment of affected individuals, to improve public safety through appropriate and meaningful behavioral health interventions, and to provide proper education and training to judges, lawyers, court staff, and cross-system partners at the intersection of behavioral health and criminal justice.
The CMHC’s greatest strength lies in its diverse perspectives. The Commission is composed of leaders from various disciplines, and it seeks to engage and collaborate with various entities and stakeholders throughout the state. Justice Zamora will provide updates of the Commission’s strategic plan which was recently updated during their 2025 retreat.
The CMHC is on a mission to improve outcomes for individuals experiencing behavioral health and cognitive challenges and to document the following:
1. Measurable reduction in time in jail;
2. Measurable reduction of familiar faces (repeat individuals in the justice system);
3. Measurable reduction in wait time for evaluations;
4. Measurable increase in number of people diverted;
5. Measurable reduction in competency evaluations ordered;
The presentation will give details about the CMHC’s team approach and the committees working on achieving these goals.
Justice Briana Zamora was born and raised in New Mexico, receiving her undergraduate degree in psychology and government from New Mexico State University and her law degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law.
She has served at all levels of the New Mexico Judiciary, beginning a decade long career as a trial court judge on the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court and then serving on the Second Judicial District Court where she saw predominantly criminal cases and presided over several treatment courts. She was appointed to the state Court of Appeals in 2018 and later joined the state Supreme Court.
She currently serves as the Supreme Court’s liaison to several judicial commissions, including the Commission on Mental Health and Competency, the Children’s Court Improvement Commission, the Children’s Court Judges Association and the Tribal-State Judicial Consortium.