Rio Arriba County DWI Prevention Program

*ATTENTION! RAC DWI Program/Drug Free Communities is happy to announce the arrival of our Prescription Drug Drop Box and the implementation of our Prescription Drug Drop-Off Program. This box will be kept in the lobby of the sheriff’s office and will be available for the public to drop off any unwanted or expired prescription, or over-the-counter drugs.

Mission Statement: To promote alternatives to alcohol and drug misuse and abuse by developing community relationships through coordinating, planning and collaborative efforts. Our vision is to focus on the overall emphasis of the reduction of alcohol and drug related DWI issues.

DWI Program Overview:
The Rio Arriba County DWI Program administers programs and services that are designed to reduce the number of alcohol related fatalities throughout Rio Arriba County. We accomplish this mission utilizing funding from the State of New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration local distribution funds as well as New Mexico Traffic Safety Bureau community DWI funds. 

With Rio Arriba County Commission recommendations as well as the County DWI Council that serves as a planning body, funding is utilized strategically to provide an array of educational programs and intervening services to the residents of the Rio Arriba County.                                                                                        
Program Components:

• Prevention
• Drug Free Communities
• Enforcement
• Screening of DWI offenders
• Compliance Monitoring/Tracking of DWI Offenders
• Coordination/Planning and Evaluation
• Offender Programs
• Public Information and Education
• Treatment for DWI offenders (Intensive Outpatient Services)
• Detoxification Incarceration Treatment(Inpatient Services within the Tierra Amarilla Detention Center)
• Juvenile Community Corrections (Working with adjudicated delinquent youth)

The components listed above include a separate grant of $200,000 from the Local DWI Grant Program specifically allocated for the operation of an inpatient jail based treatment program. Opportunities for DWI offenders serving mandated jail sentences include individual and group therapeutic sessions focusing on addiction, anger, grief, DWI awareness and prevention as well as gender specific mental health support. The Rio Arriba County Detention Center located in Tierra Amarilla provides a therapeutic setting to steer inmates towards their sobriety and other social service programs that can provide further aftercare assistance.

• Rio Arriba County DWI Prevention Specialists continue to actively provide prevention services within all five public school districts as well as several other private schools, academies, charter schools and the local College. Services consist of information dissemination, educational presentations and group discussions.

• Rio Arriba County DWI Prevention Specialists continue to actively provide collaborative support to many of the community based events throughout the year within the entire County, which consists of disseminating information on DWI Laws/Penalties, underage drinking material and underage awareness to youth and families. They also provide audio equipment, perform presentations and engage in group discussions.

• Every year DWI Prevention Specialists, along with volunteer members of the DWI Planning Council/Joint Task Force, meet with counselors at all five school districts: Mesa Vista HS, Espanola Valley HS, McCurdy HS, Escalante HS, Coronado HS and Dulce Independent HS, to invite their students to participate in a Media Ad Competition to win a “Free Post Prom Party” for their school, which provides high school students with an alcohol/drug free save event. The themed event takes place immediately following their HS prom. Students have enjoyed an alcohol/drug free night of movies and funfilled activities. This annual occasion is a locked-in event, which requires students to take breathalyzers, which are administered upon entry. Students also have a chance to win prizes throughout the night.  Post Prom is complimented by radio PSA’s, newspaper publications, flyers, assemblies with students/parents, and the school board. This has been a huge success every year with the support of many volunteers from local entities along with law enforcement and community sponsors.

For further information or requesting presentations please contact us between 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday.

Contact:

Espanola Office: (505) 747-1418
Espanola Ofice Fax: (505) 753-6557

Location: 

 Tierra Amarilla DWI Unit: (505) 538-0358

Espanola Office Location: 
Rio Arriba County Espanola Annex Building 
1122 Industrial Park Road 
Espanola, NM 87532

Louise Sanchez,  DWI Director

Staff: