District V City Council member Nelly Vielma announced Suicide Awareness Month in Laredo on Tuesday, September 22.
Accompanying her were Mayor Pete Saenz, City Health Department director Richard Chamberlain, María Sanchez of the Border Region Behavioral Health Center, Frank Sanchez, children’s program supervisor and suicide prevention coordinator for the Border Region Behavioral Health Center, and City Manager Robert Eads.
María Sánchez shared the local services available for suicide prevention, depression, and other mental health conditions and also announced the Oct. 1 opening of the Casa Amistad Crisis Stabilization Center, which will accept clients in crisis for timely treatment. She said a call to (956) 643-1102 or (956) 794-3000 will be answered and referred to a counselor immediately.
Chamberlain, who said mental health issues should be treated like any other health issue, said the City of Laredo’s suicide hotline is live 24/7 with a licensed counselor at (956) 898-2414.
Vielma and María Sanchez both outlined the stresses and overall anxieties the pandemic has brought to daily life — job loss, economic despair, isolation, fear, and grief over the loss of a loved one.
Vielma said children who are not in school during the pandemic and the elderly are especially succeptible to the idea of suicide. She stressed the importance of being aware of depression and other changes in loved ones, as well as the importance of de-stigmatizing mental health issues so that effective diagnosis and treatment can save the lives of those in peril.
