Advocate Connie Vigil explains how New Mexico can follow Miami-Dade’s proven model to address homelessness and mental illness through coordinated treatment, judicial reform, and statewide investment in behavioral health.
In this episode of The New Mexico Sun Cast, citizen advocate Connie Vigil joins host Jim Williams to discuss Albuquerque’s homelessness and mental-health crisis. Drawing on her background in medical research and public policy, Vigil explains how Miami-Dade County’s integrated approach—uniting law enforcement, judges, and healthcare providers—could be replicated in New Mexico. She also details her work behind Senate Bill 1, the state’s new $2 billion trust fund for behavioral-health infrastructure, and why collaboration between universities, courts, and government agencies is key to long-term recovery and public safety.