Hidalgo Medical Services (HMS) is proud to be an original member of the New Mexico Psychology Internship Consortium (NM-PIC), a collaborative initiative designed to increase access to licensed psychologists in rural and underserved areas of New Mexico.

HMS volunteered to join this effort when it was first proposed to the State of New Mexico through the Behavioral Health Services Division by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). WICHE has successfully developed similar psychology internship consortia across seven states and Guam, offering essential management support for this complex and far-reaching initiative. The consortium model enables rural internship programs to thrive by sharing faculty responsibilities across sites, including group supervision and year-long didactic training for interns.

NM-PIC began with three founding internship sites: Hidalgo Medical Services in Silver City, the Behavioral Health Institute (State Hospital) in Las Vegas, and the Indian Health Services Hospital in Shiprock. The inaugural cohort began in the 2021–2022 academic year, and the program has welcomed a new group of interns each year since. In the spring of 2024, NM-PIC proudly achieved full accreditation from the American Psychological Association.

For the upcoming internship year, NM-PIC has expanded to include a fourth training site at Los Alamos National Laboratories (LANL). All four sites have successfully matched with interns for the 2025–2026 training year.

This year, HMS proudly welcomes two doctoral psychology interns who will both provide bilingual services to the community:

• Ana R. Dolores, MA, MS, is doctoral condidate from Fuller Theological Seminary. She brings a strong background in community mental health, family systems, and culturally responsive care for Spanish-speaking and Mexican American populations.
• Byron Garcia, MS, is a doctoral candidate from Arizona State University, with strong experience working with children and adults in trauma-informed care, psychological assessment, and integrated behavioral health services in underserved communities.He is also a published researcher, funded by the National Science Foundation, looking at self-regulation and resilience among Latino youth.

HMS remains committed to developing the next generation of behavioral health professionals and addressing the critical mental health needs of rural New Mexico.