Family Resource Center opens in Los Lunas

LOS LUNAS — When someone is in need of help, the result can often be referrals to various and sundry agencies, calling number after number and generating feelings of frustration.

A new service based in the village of Los Lunas is hoping to eliminate that frustration and streamline access to social services.

Operating under the umbrella of Youth Development Incorporated, the Family Resource Center opened its doors to Valencia County residents in May.

“The Family Resource Center is a new program, but (Youth Development Inc.,) has been in existence for many, many years and it provides a variety of services,” said Jay Ruybalid, assistant director of YDI and director of the Family Resource Center.

Founded in 1971, YDI is a nationally-recognized youth and family service organization in New Mexico that offers families assistance with early childhood education and child care, prenatal care, alternative education, job training and placement, mental and behavioral health services, homeless assistance, mentoring, family development and family counseling services.

The Family Resource Center isn’t a new concept, Ruybalid said, having been around for more than 30 years all over the country. New Mexico is one of the last five states to get this type of service, he said.

FRCs were first established in neighborhoods nationwide in the 1980s. According to the National Family Support Network website, while there is no dedicated federal funding for these centers there are more than 3,000 of them nationwide.

In May, YDI’s Los Lunas Family Resource Center joined the ranks.

“So, what is it? A Family Resource Center is supposed to be a one-stop shop for social services and whatever services people need,” Ruybalid said. “We can either provide it ourselves or we can link them, connect the individual or family with the needed services.”

Ruybalid said, for instance, due to storage constraints at the YDI offices, 428 Los Lentes Road, SE, they aren’t able to offer clothing or food, but the FRC family resource navigators can connect families with organizations and agencies that can.

“We can provide emergency assistance for utility bills or car repairs. In the past, we’ve provided laptops,” he said.

Clients can go to the center on a referral basis, but typically people access services by just dropping in, Ruybalid said.

Melissa Elizondo, program manager for the FRC, said first-time clients are given a needs assessment by one of the center’s family resource navigators.

“The family navigators have a whole intake packet, which includes a consent for services, and they work with the family to develop a services plan with smart goals. They in turn support these families in reaching those goals,” Elizondo said. “There’s no time limit on it. It’s a living document. As they reach goals, they can update (the plan) and change goals. They continue working on whatever goals they have.”

Ruybalid said the interaction between the navigators and the families is more than “‘fill out this form, then fill out this form.’ You really develop a rapport and communicate with the participants.”

Dairus Kind, a family resource navigator, admits he can be quite charming in his approach.

“I come in with a cup of Joe and once I’ve got them loosened up ...,” Kind says with a chuckle. “No, I’m kidding, but I talk to them about how they’ve gotten in the situation they are in, what needs they have. It’s more than just connecting them to a service or to funds, but helping them understand how they got where they are and how they can stay out of that situation in the future.

“We’ve met a lot of families who have lost the main breadwinner ... and a lot of these people say they haven’t had to ask for social services, so they don’t know how to go about it.

“Communication is super key to helping them feel comfortable around us and the center, and reaching out to different service providers in the community,” Kind said. “I make an effort to elucidate that in our conversation. I do keep it light-hearted and do my best to come across as friendly.”

Monique Pena, family resource navigator, noted that she and Kind can come to a client’s home to fill out paperwork, do the needs assessment and form the service plan if they aren’t able to come to the Los Lunas office.

One of the most common money needs among clients is some form of housing — housing vouchers or subsidized living arrangements — Kind said.

“We deal with people who are either late on mortgage, late on rent, facing eviction, facing homelessness,” he said, “and it’s a huge struggle here in Valencia County. There is no Section 8 waiting list. There are no benefits for Valencia County.

For instance, from July 15 to Aug. 15, Bernalillo County opened up a Section 8 living voucher pre-application waiting list and there hasn’t been that luxury in Valencia County for a year or more.”

Other common needs are help with electric bills and other utility bills. Those looking for clothing and food, the navigators connect them to the network of churches and other nonprofits they’ve amassed.

Ruybalid said YDI receives state funding so they plan to have other state agencies co-located in the building on specific days so people visiting the resource center have easier access to agencies, such as the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, Human Services, Income Support Division, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and more.

The team has plans to provide activities, such as parenting classes and money management classes, and some one-on-one computer assistance for folks who are familiar with computers, he said.

There’s also discussion about creating a life skills curriculum to help people learn skills ranging from sewing on a button to changing a tire.

The FRC is also a certified car seat installation and distribution site, with the service only costing $35, Ruybalid said.

“We’re not trying to duplicate services of other social service providers,” he said. “We want to make it easier for participants to connect to these services.

“Eventually, the idea of the FRC is to be the hub all referrals go through, and if we are not providing the services, we have our local agencies and organizations that can.”

To make a referral to or more information about the Family Resource Center, call 505-352-3495 or email valenciaprogramreferrals@ydinm.org.

Participants can call the office to schedule time with FRC staff members during Saturday operating hours.