SANTA FE – The New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department (ALTSD) is proud to announce that Esperanza Lucero, Deputy Director of Adult Protective Services (APS) for ALTSD has received a prestigious national award.
On August 29, Lucero was presented with the President’s Award from the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA). Lucero is the first New Mexican to receive a NAPSA award since 2007. The NAPSA President’s Award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions in the field of Adult Protective Services as demonstrated by a dedication to elders and persons with disabilities and commitment to improving the quality of services to this population. NAPSA gave their highest-level award to Lucero for her innovative approach to reforming New Mexico’s APS system with the state-of-the-art harm-reduction model. Lucero accepted the award at this year’s conference in Boston, Massachusetts.
“I am proud of Esperanza Lucero’s innovation and leadership. She elevated New Mexico as the national gold standard of how to best comprehensively serve and protect vulnerable adult populations,” said Secretary Designate Jen Paul Schroer. “The Governor is committed to ensuring that all New Mexicans are safe and thriving, and Esperanza Lucero is helping to deliver on that promise.”
“I am grateful to the incredible work of my team at Adult Protective Services,” said Esperanza Lucero. “Since I’ve been at Aging and Long-Term Services, we have shifted how we work in Adult Protective Services. By using a prevention, intervention and harm reduction model, we can identify issues up front and work to prevent them from getting worse. This means fewer repeat occurrences of maltreatment and better supports to prevent abuse, neglect and exploitation.”
Full Press Release here