SANTA FE – Santa Fe County has been recognized with an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo) for its CONNECT program. The NACo awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents.

CONNECT is a network of navigators at clinics, community service organizations and governmental programs within Santa Fe County to provide residents with housing, food, transportation, utilities, and other social determinants of health. Agencies in the network are connected through a shared technology platform enabling navigators to connect residents to needed services and resources.

Started by the County in 2017, and in partnership with the City of Santa Fe since 2019, CONNECT has over 200 navigators from 60 programs and has linked 6,816 individuals to resources since April 2019.

“We are pleased to have CONNECT recognized for its role in providing crucial resources to individuals in need, which has been especially important during the pandemic,” said County Manager Greg Shaffer. “I thank the Board of County Commission for their support for the implementation, ongoing funding, and expansion of CONNECT.”

“The CONNECT program was incredibly valuable to us as we entered the pandemic because we already had a strong framework in place to quickly and efficiently connect our constituents with services,” said County Commissioner Anna Hansen (D-2). “Since the pandemic, the CONNECT navigators have helped constituents find food, housing, medical, transportation, and other important services that they have desperately needed during such a trying time.”

“I’m very pleased with the national recognition for our CONNECT program,” said County Commissioner Henry Roybal (D-1). “I have had several constituents who have benefited from this program. I have called several times for constituents and staff has been amazing. I am truly proud of this service. Congratulations!”

County Commissioner Hank Hughes (D-5) said, “the CONNECT Program is connecting people to the help they need every day, and we are very proud of this collaborative effort between Santa Fe County and the City of Santa Fe.”

The Award will be presented to Santa Fe County at the NACo Achievement Awards Luncheon on Saturday, July 23, 2022, in Aurora, Colorado.

For more information, please visit www.santafecountynm.gov/connect.