Our Vision

"A community working in cooperation to ensure the health and well being of all its residents."

Our Mission

"To promote community collaboration through framework of coordination, assessment and solutions."

Community-Identified Priorities

1) Violence Prevention

2) Behavioral Health

3) Substance Use

4) Healthy Eating

5) Active Living

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History of Council

The Community Wellness Council originated in 1993 as the Valencia County Coalition for Families, Children and Community (VCC-FCC), and was “…dedicated to helping build better futures for children and families in Valencia County.” The Valencia Maternal Child Health (MCH) Council served in an advisory capacity to the VCC-FCC. In 1999 the VCC-FCC was reorganized as the Valencia Community Partnership, transitioning from a service organization to a focused health assessment and planning organization.

In 2010 the council once again reorganized to become the Community Wellness Council with the mission to promote community collaboration through a framework of coordination, assessment and solutions. Through its many transitions and iterations the Council has retained its 501©3 status and an active and dedicated leadership team passionate about community wellness, health and safety. In addition, the Community Wellness Council continues to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship with the New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils which includes Tribal partners.

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Measuring Success

The Council focuses its work on a wide variety of issues including: wellness, health equity, injury prevention, and health promotion. On-going council-sponsored assessments will provide county stakeholders and other residents with data on both community problems and how collaboration and cooperation are addressing effectively addressing them.

Partnerships

The Council is working to become an information hub in which a framework is used to assess the on-going needs in Valencia County, and by meeting identified needs through the promotion of collaboration between agencies, coalitions, and action groups. Our partnering agencies and organizations include local coalitions, governmental bodies, schools, non profit organizations, civic groups, and service agencies.

Contracted Staff

Pamela Skinner is our part-time Community Wellness Council Coordinator and will have administrative duties that keep our board and community informed as to health opportunities around health assessment, action planning and collaboration. She is looking forward to capitalizing on her personal and professional contacts within this community in order to continue with and add to the services that this Council provides for Valencia County residents. She served as the Director of the Valencia County Chamber of Commerce for one year and built a successful Chamber uniting business throughout Valencia County prior to joining her family in Texas. For 15 years, she was the Executive Director of Housing for the Village of Los Lunas and Valencia County and brought housing assistance to the inhabitants of this county and formed many business and professional contacts throughout this community.

Further, she has 15 years of Federal Government Service as a GS employee in the field of Personnel and Financial Management. She attended Los Lunas High, graduated National Honor Society, and attended the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. After that, she moved with the military to Germany and continued her education through the Community College of the Air Force.. She was born in Tomé, New Mexico and calls Valencia County her home. She is the mother of three boys and grandmother to one grandchild. She can be reached at ewerspamela@gmail.com or communitywellnesscouncil@gmail.com

Shannon Barnes is a public health systems practitioner working in the public health and health care sectors of New Mexico for the past 15 years. Formally educated in public health, receiving her Ph.D in public health, with her dissertation focusing on historical trauma’s impact on dating violence and pregnancy among urban Native Americans. She has worked on public health policy, health systems transformation, teen pregnancy prevention, public health and health plan accreditation, public health workforce development, strategic planning, assessment, and program planning. Combining her love of research and data with community perspectives and insights is what makes her passionate about the work of public health. Ms. Barnes will lead our 100% Communities Initiative and coordinate the 10 Task Forces that families need in order to survive and thrive: Food, Housing, Medical/Dental Care, Behavioral Health, Transportation, Job Training, Early Childhood Services, Parenting Supports, Community Schools, and Youth Mentoring. Shannon can be reached at shannon@healthyconsultingnm.com or at communitywellnesscouncil@gmail.com