Albuquerque’s Community Safety Department was recently dispatched to a call about suicidal thoughts from an out-of-state caller who said he had overheard a friend of the gamer becoming emotional and upset while gaming and wanting to kill himself.
The two had never met in person, and the caller had limited information about the boy, who later told ACS that the gamer’s friend had stopped responding to his Snapchat messages.
ACS rescuers arrived at the estimated location and made contact with an older woman who stated she did not have any children, so ACS rescuers asked about her neighbor who stated she did have children.
The responders walked up to one of the proposed homes and knocked, where a woman answered and confirmed the son’s gamer name. The family then allowed the responders into the living room. The son acknowledged that earlier that day he had expressed suicidal thoughts due to frustration with his mother, and stated that he did not make such statements to scare anyone, but that it was a way for him to vent his frustration.
“She has a tough job being a single mom,” behavioral health responder Dana Gonzalez said. “My job is to understand her situation and move on from there.”
The mother explained that the family had been going through a difficult time recently. Respondents shared constructive ways to communicate with their families without hurting each other with words, as well as ways to relieve stress and deal with negative emotions.
“With the rise in mental health issues and the increased stress of daily life, alternative responses are necessary,” Behavioral Health Supervisor Christopher Brighton said. “We need to provide the right response at the right time for the individuals who need it.”
The family was extremely grateful to be listened to and given guidance.
Albuquerque Community Safety Responders intervened in a timely manner in a potentially life-threatening situation involving a teen who expressed suicidal thoughts. Through compassionate assistance and effective communication, ACS responders were able to provide critical support to the teen and his family, highlighting the important role community-based mental health services play in responding to an emergency mental health crisis.
