Making an impact: Papen-Aprendamos Diagnostic Center celebrates many milestones

The Papen-Aprendamos Diagnostic Center celebrated many monumental milestones recently, including seeing its 1,000th referral.

The newly named multidisciplinary clinic team has performed 244 evaluations for New Mexico families since 2023, equivalent to providing more than 2,440 hours of direct evaluation services.

“We are fully staffed, provide services to all counties of New Mexico, and are now partnering with rural school districts to provide medical evaluations to children in need of services,” says Victoria Almaguer, the center’s clinical director.

The center is made up of three psychologists, two speech-language pathologists, an occupational therapist, a social worker, a licensed mental health counselor, a program coordinator and a clinic director, in addition to other contracted relationships with various professionals specialized in certain areas of disability.

As the only center of its kind in southern New Mexico, the center is responsible for helping reduce a more than two-year wait time average to six to nine months. While families are waiting for their diagnostic evaluation, the center also provides parent training, social skills training and more.

“Our evaluation approach is neuro-affirming and welcoming of individuals at all stages of their journey to understand and think about themselves,” Almaguer says. “The evaluation process is collaborative, supportive, therapeutic and respectful.”

The center also began serving adult clients in 2024. The services for adults are led by psychologist Marybeth Graham, a bilingual licensed clinical psychologist and professor in the Department of Communication Disorders. She has provided treatment for neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders in children for the past 23 years.

In addition to celebrating milestones of service, the center celebrated its naming with a ribbon cutting. The Papen-Aprendamos name recognizes the center’s biggest supporters – Abel Covarrubias, founder and CEO of the Aprendamos Family of Services, who provided major funding for the center, and former state Sen. Mary Kay Papen, who first proposed the facility through legislation.

After its recent tide of success, the center is looking forward to expanding its services. 

“We hope to build capacity for our current work,” says Almaguer. “We’d like to increase our funding to build our diagnostic, family support and community outreach teams. We would also like to continue to employ graduate assistants to directly impact the workforce in southern New Mexico.”

To learn more about the ADC, call 575-646-3177 or email adc@nmsu.edu.