BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas — A local Brazos Valley non-profit has been voted best in the state of Texas but if you ask anyone from the Brazos Valley Coalition On Suicide Prevention, they're just getting started.
"We've only been around for three years. So to go from nothing to being voted the best in the state of Texas at what we do is a pretty, pretty big honor," Doug Vance said. Vance is president of the Brazos Valley Coalition On Suicide Prevention. "So it's pretty exciting to know that we're recognized as such, I think it speaks not only the right services that we provide but more than that the people that work with us."
Vance is hoping this recognition will help break the stigma that surrounds suicide, depression, and survivor recovery.
"You can't suffer in silence. You can't be afraid to make that phone call," Vance said. "You can't think, well I can just handle it on my own. That's got to change you know, we have to break the stigma of people being afraid to talk about it because it's out there and the reality is that it affects a lot of people in the community."
Vance says BVCOSP offers four streams of services. They advocate for funding and legislation, they will come and educate you on suicide prevention, they do outreach with young adults, and offer peer support services.
"Support is one of the biggest things, in my opinion, to help with suicide prevention," Chair of the Volunteer Committee, Kristen Strother. "Because sometimes if you should reach out and talk to someone it makes you realize, oh okay, I need to talk this out and I, you know, I want to rethink this."
Though BVCOSP has been a great success here in the Brazos Valley. But they can't stop suicide by themselves. They need you, and your loved ones to help to save every life they can.
"BVCOSP is fantastic, and we truly are saving lives.," Strother said. "So we would love for anybody to come help or donate time, money, resources, whatever you feel comfortable with."
BVCOSP said its current goal is to get suicide prevention services into schools by creating peer groups and training teachers on suicide prevention warning signs.
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