STUDY AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL STORYTELLING TREATMENT

House Memorial 61 is a non-binding request to New Mexico's Children, Youth and Families Department, not a law. It asks the department to study and implement autobiographical storytelling as a trauma-informed strategy to support foster children. Specifically, it requests collaboration with speech-language pathologists and mental health providers to train caregivers, help children create personal stories (focusing on present experiences, not past trauma), and develop crisis plans for emotional distress. The effort targets foster children in New Mexico - where 2,000-2,600 children enter the system annually - who face higher risks of language delays and emotional challenges due to adverse experiences.