HEALTH CARE
Albuquerque behavioral health center to expand crisis services with new facility
All Faiths Children鈥檚 Advocacy Center to open new, larger clinic in June
An Albuquerque behavioral health center is expanding to meet the city鈥檚 demand for mental health services.
All Faiths Children鈥檚 Advocacy Center is opening a new location at Academy and San Mateo NE, large enough to offer crisis services and outpatient therapy to children and adults, said All Faiths CEO Krisztina Udvardi.
鈥淚 think that the need has always been there,鈥� Udvardi said. 鈥淚 think that the state and the county and the city are really talking about this need in a different way than they have before. And I think as citizens, on the street, we see the need for mental health and behavioral health support.鈥�
Renovations are underway at the 27,000-square-foot building, which will expand the center鈥檚 adult veteran and crisis programs, Udvardi said.
鈥淚n order to do that in a way that is an integrated model, we needed people,鈥� Udvardi said. 鈥淲e needed staff members to be in one building so that clients can come to one hub, and actually take advantage of the fact that they can access all these services under one roof.鈥�
A from the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute from 2024 shows behavioral health workforce shortages in 43 out of 44 states surveyed, including New Mexico, which reported shortfalls in state psychiatric hospitals, community mental health services and behavioral health crisis programs.
The introduction of the 988 crisis line nationwide led to an increase in demand for behavioral health support, though most crisis services have struggled to meet the need, according to a January 2025 from the nonprofit think tank RAND.
All Faiths has more than quadrupled in size in the past decade, Udvardi said. Despite health care recruitment challenges nationwide, the organization now employs 170 staff members.
鈥淚t was very clear that the buildings that we currently have and currently occupy in the Albuquerque area are not going to be sufficient to house all these staff members, and also to house all the new programs,鈥� she said.
The agency currently operates two clinics on the southeast side of Albuquerque. The new facility, slated to open in June, will create 10 new jobs for crisis staff members.
鈥淲e have made a real effort and done a really awesome job to attract new people,鈥� Udvardi said.
Last year, the clinic saw about 3,000 patients total, Udvardi said. The new facility will allow All Faiths to see as many as 7,500.
All Faiths has partnerships with the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriff鈥檚 Office. If the city鈥檚 911 or crisis line is called for someone having a mental health crisis, they can agree to be taken to the center if it meets their needs, according to Jeffery Bustamante, community outreach manager for Albuquerque Community Safety, the city鈥檚 behavioral health crisis department.
鈥淎ll Faiths is a critical partner,鈥� Bustamante said. 鈥淲e really appreciate their partnership and the hard work that is put into supporting our community.鈥�
The city鈥檚 crisis department has also noted an increase in demand for services over the last several years, Bustamante said.
When ACS was founded in 2021, 鈥渨e might have (had) a handful of calls a day,鈥� Bustamante said. Now, the department fields around 100 to 150 calls daily on average, he added.
Despite increased call volume, ACS maintains adequate staffing levels, and receives about 10 applications for each open position, enough to be 鈥渃hoosy鈥� about hiring, Bustamante said, though 鈥渨e鈥檇 always take more staff and more ability to serve the community.鈥�
All Faiths is among several city partners where patients can go depending on need, he added.
The center does not hold patients overnight, but instead offers same-day support for mental health crises and substance abuse, Udvardi said.
For the first 70 years of its operation, the organization focused primarily on serving children, but has since shifted its focus to include adults.
鈥淲e realize that you cannot heal a 5-year-old and send them back to a family that might have mental health issues or resource issues and need services, where the adults need services themselves,鈥� Udvardi said.
Natalie Robbins covers the economy and health care for the Journal. You can reach her at nrobbins@abqjournal.com.
