[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6221913,"mediaKeyId","3611056-75d26b4e183946f1863b21f3c32ed88b","parentId",3611056,"title","Public health outlines targeted outreach, training and monthly awareness events for suicide prevention","audioSeconds",108,"startMs",1762000,"endMs",1870000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3611056-75d26b4e183946f1863b21f3c32ed88b&start=1762&end=1870","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3611056-75d26b4e183946f1863b21f3c32ed88b/thumbnail_1762000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6221913/Laredo/Webb-County/Texas/Public-health-outlines-targeted-outreach-training-and-monthly-awareness-events-for-suicide-prevention","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221913-6edf06aceeee2b4393b21e83dcb6f42a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775250844&Signature=DRC9qYqAKQgI0sgi-ELv2fetFQaGgHxtF5jC7dsZE6E13zdxPIdzNmvNusVACXNdLEu9dd4KXHzwtLKcXDiAPAw7NcZdQT2TqYUXtRTAIoEGPDxK7iw43goH4zT7PF1qKwEdfxxiRIpVdHvf2yFOezMznTpadFASGI4cYKrCR8kS1zFBQd1W2SAm75xkibFMMOChHbtZP3sD3pArECDhO-7SfbyXOPT68fVURg7uzV1eWYK9494u1fzHuhZKhJDFKQzxX5Y3xPO6LfH1Dn4nchdL0Ffg5jxdXaFpWxjAyyADJkSlMNV2n3SqWd-2GKlv9aqsqcpbSVY5cY7OvCZtPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Laredo, Texas","date","2025-05-29T17:40:35Z","article","Laredo public-health staff reported at the April 28 Suicide Prevention Committee meeting that local data show elevated depression and frequent mental-distress rates in parts of the city and proposed targeted outreach and training to address those areas.

The public-health presenter (Karen, title not stated) said the department’s snapshot and average-based projection show suicide-related activity could increase roughly 61.1 percent if current trends continue. The presenter said public-health staff identified priority ZIP codes by overlaying local incident data with CDC PLACES and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System metrics and recommended outreach at gun shops, barbershops and hair salons.

Health-education and harm-reduction staff described plans to prioritize an outreach campaign for Mental Health Awareness Month and to pilot Adult Mental Health First Aid training for local businesses and law-enforcement partners. Committee members noted other training resources: a speaker referenced a Harvard Online module on understanding depression available for about $30 and offered to share the link with the group.

The meeting also highlighted recurring community activities: organizers described a monthly “You Are Not Alone” awareness rally held the last Friday of each month and encouraged volunteers to distribute printed materials at businesses that will accept drop-offs. Presenters said they have begun mapping outreach locations and tracking engagement metrics and promised to share data links with stakeholders.

Why this matters: Public-health staff said targeting outreach to places where people gather could improve early identification and referrals and that training for businesses and first responders is part of a prevention strategy to reduce crisis events.

No formal funding decisions were made at the meeting; presenters asked the committee to help identify outreach locations, volunteer leads and partners to maintain a sustained campaign.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","SUICIDE PREVENTION COMMITTEE MEETING 052825","oneSentenceSummary","Laredo public-health staff told the Suicide Prevention Committee that mapped overlays of depression and distress show local hotspots; staff proposed outreach in barbershops and salons, training for businesses, and a recurring 'You Are Not Alone' rally and materials distribution.","taxTitle","Laredo, Webb County, Texas","taxId",2820,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6221919,"Committee identifies gaps in crisis response: 988 transfers, hospital beds and transport delays",280,2880000,3160000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3611056-75d26b4e183946f1863b21f3c32ed88b&start=2880&end=3160","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3611056-75d26b4e183946f1863b21f3c32ed88b/thumbnail_2880000.jpg","/articles/6221919/Laredo/Webb-County/Texas/Committee-identifies-gaps-in-crisis-response-988-transfers-hospital-beds-and-transport-delays","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221919-06295636b7a0a84737f87ad5d696b92c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775250845&Signature=ns12kBfEdn9P2IJ34yGgkZ3ntvkRbBce0JBrk5OFyzQs1E1j-3z0mCJwfG5tvz2pNWXP5Qnzkf5wiUrwIpaktW5r2IIIxYb5Oh0vlhco~BS2UVb4LAvfLVu8KDI71jEDxq3tgwQuBTqAsuuC3qMeEnpOjHCEsxiOabK3WtkKkp3oQUUHgIbbCuqv2YUG-XMXRY-GjFJoGTynK24mHIwoy7kgjFwpUoVOwVrbhnmfQ-ByF5E1AqyMQ7n~nvUfnuGqmFb1DluNVIWkVGpT6bRB37nWs6Fhq-dET8KimZ1C913V7Tx0cjbrxxrXtOPnUbYUF1KDB8iHuqbH1JcHN9G3qA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Maricela Salinas Jackman, speaking from a law-enforcement perspective at the April 28 Suicide Prevention Committee meeting, described gaps in local crisis response that can delay care for people in acute crisis.

Jackman said calls that route through 988 can be time-consuming and that some callers on 988 experienced long waits or unresolved calls. She described the typical law-enforcement response when officers encounter someone they believe is a danger to self or others: officers secure the scene, transport the person to an emergency room and rely on physicians to determine whether detention or further psychiatric care is necessary.

Jackman said state law sets the standard for emergency detention. “The law is under the Health and Safety Code. We cannot just detain someone without having to show that they are in danger of coming to harm themselves or someone else,” she told the committee. She added that hospitals sometimes resist or delay evaluations and that securing a psychiatric bed can require arranging transport to San Antonio, which increases delays.

Committee discussion identified several potential fixes presented during the meeting: creating a codified suicide-prevention coordinator role (citing a Montana statute as an example of a jurisdiction that codified such a position), building a secure, searchable stakeholder portal or communication platform (for example Slack or Microsoft Teams) to share survivor contact data and service referrals, and developing a regional 24/7 “navigator” network so local callers reach a response team with regional knowledge rather than long national transfers.

The presenters also described operational limits of local units: Laredo Police Department’s mental-health unit is small, transport and bed-finding consume officer time, and repeat calls for the same individuals are common. Committee members discussed the idea of pooling stakeholder staff for rotating remote shifts to provide more continuous local/regional response capacity.

Why this matters: Committee members said process delays and fragmented communication can reduce opportunities for timely intervention and for consistent postvention outreach to survivors. The group recommended exploring structural changes, improved interagency communications and regional coordination rather than immediate policy changes at the meeting.

No formal votes were taken at the meeting; the proposals were discussed as recommendations for further study and coordination.","Committee members and a law-enforcement presenter said diversion to 988, limited local psychiatric beds and lengthy transport to San Antonio create delays in care; presenters proposed a regional 24/7 navigator network, a suicide-prevention coordinator and a secure stakeholder portal to improve follow-up.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6221923,"Laredo committee reviews spike in suicide-related calls and recent deaths, including juvenile gunshot incident",324,236000,560000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3611056-75d26b4e183946f1863b21f3c32ed88b&start=236&end=560","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3611056-75d26b4e183946f1863b21f3c32ed88b/thumbnail_236000.jpg","/articles/6221923/Laredo/Webb-County/Texas/Laredo-committee-reviews-spike-in-suicide-related-calls-and-recent-deaths-including-juvenile-gunshot-incident","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221923-42532c578312bff9f86789ace7e09adc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775250844&Signature=RhOaaA0m-vwq--qu-Fz4ZZ5EMHmw2hP~Tdw2QdTMO2TC6Ja7NcHBms5XQliqV0pCA59nf41WQ8MA0damT57b~OlB1RqMZI3-lcwg825jE5P52eVrPIN70nLcTUkFyr9XgE2QV9~3OkJ~rgrjDHDJfBuZkWQ9YLcqcuxgV4xt4zM1ixpGSInnC089DPAcHvItHGJ~gdqcDBGp-7jQdMIIHqZXNUb8bkLwUhzXlaUHDDaKncWCOc2LnY-5ExrG2npOfuwlT52r7sL5SEwE95bOTyePIwxw7A3ym9AkkC1QrtafQ3Lkpp-znjEyYoizsEC8zDzzvW5iPeEfMLAuzkWPeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Good evening: Laredo police and committee members reported that from Jan. 1 through May 27 the city logged 47 attempted-suicide calls and 90 attempted-suicide reports during an April 28 Suicide Prevention Committee meeting.

That count came as presenters reviewed recent fatalities and emergency-detention activity tied to suicidal behavior. A juvenile who suffered a gunshot wound inside the mouth on May 11 was transported to a local hospital and later declared deceased, according to a law-enforcement summary presented at the meeting. Investigators interviewed multiple juvenile witnesses and family members and requested forensic and crime-scene processing.

The committee heard additional incident summaries: a 56-year-old man who attempted to hang himself on May 4; a 20-year-old man who cut his arms on May 10; a 31-year-old woman reported as a jump attempt; and a May 18 death of a 53-year-old man found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Presenters said some victims had prior behavioral-health contacts while others did not.

Why this matters: Committee members said the number of calls and a pattern of emergency detentions are straining local response and informing prevention planning. Public-health staff later told the group that, based on current trends and monthly averages, projected suicide-related events could rise about 61.1 percent if current rates continue.

Officer and investigator details presented at the meeting described scene observations in the juvenile case: officers found a rifle in the room and a large pool of blood on the floor, and forensic investigators documented footprints and blood spatter. The presenter said relatives told investigators the victim “was not suicidal,” but that witnesses ran from the room after a loud noise and officers treated the scene as a death investigation pending autopsy results.

Committee members emphasized the limits of local reporting for death classification and how incidents may be recorded in the Uniform Crime Reporting system. Presenters said some cases are classified differently depending on witness statements and investigator findings.

The meeting included expressions of thanks to involved agencies and a reminder that several cases remain under investigation and subject to autopsy results and official determinations.","At an April 28 Suicide Prevention Committee meeting, law enforcement and public-health presenters reported dozens of suicide-related calls since January, described a recent juvenile death involving a self-inflicted gunshot wound under investigation, and noted other recent fatalities and emergency detentions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public health outlines targeted outreach, training and monthly awareness events for suicide prevention

Committee identifies gaps in crisis response: 988 transfers, hospital beds and transport delays

Laredo committee reviews spike in suicide-related calls and recent deaths, including juvenile gunshot incident