Suicide is the second-leading cause of death on college campuses in the U.S. and for Veterans that rate is even higher with approximately 22 dying every day. September is Suicide Awareness Month and campus partners at The University of New Mexico have come together to host a Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day on Tuesday, Sept. 26 to educate the Lobo community in an effort to save lives.

Schedule

The Veterans Resource Center, Career Services, the Women’s Resource Center, Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) and AGORA Crisis Center have planned a day of presentations, a resource fair and quiet rooms staffed with Agora Crisis volunteers to help educate students, faculty, staff and community around suicide prevention. Presentations start at 9 a.m. and run until 3:30 p.m. in the Student Union Building (SUB), third floor.

Patrick Gallegos, director of the UNM Veterans Resource Center says knowing the signs of distress in yourself or someone you care about is a key part of addressing this crisis. 

“In comparison to the rest of the country, New Mexico has a higher rate of suicide deaths,” says Gallegos. “With Veterans twice that rate, we want to bring more awareness to the campus community. We’ll have workshops in the morning on Sept. 26 and the same ones in the afternoon, that way people are able to make it with their classes and work schedules.”

Many of the groups sponsoring Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day are aligned under the Office of Student Affairs (OSA).

OSA, as one of the largest divisions on campus, is collectively encouraging Lobos to “take a minute, save a life.”

For more information on the event, contact Veronica Griego at vmgriego@unm.edu