Laredo Suicide Awareness and Prevention Coalition

This Coalition was established in 2019 as a result of Dr. Richard Chamberlain’s vision to reduce suicide rates in the community of Laredo. The mission of the Laredo Suicide Awareness and Prevention Coalition is to create awareness about services and resources available to individuals experiencing a crisis and to diminish the rates of suicide by a) Engaging with the community b) Strengthening referral pathways c) Identifying training opportunities/resources d) Reviewing data to identify target suicide risk age group/areas e) Promoting the “988” and f) Conducting other activities as identified by the coalition. The membership includes representatives from the Area Health Education Center; Border Region Behavioral Health Center; Casa de Misericordia; City of Laredo Health Department, Human Resources Department, Fire Department, Police Department; Laredo Community College; Laredo Independent School District; Mercy Ministries; PILLAR; SCAN; Texas A&M International University; Texas Department of State Health Service Office of Border Public HMEealth; United Independent School District; and numerous caring individuals from all walks of life. The 2023 year-long campaign started in March 2023 and since then, every Friday of each month the coalition members wear teal/purple or “You Are Not Alone” buttons or T-shirts to create awareness in the community about resources available for everyone dealing with a crisis or contemplating suicide. The 988 is a national number that can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is a bilingual service available to everyone in the United States.