LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Bobby Carter is the senior director of diversion programs at StarCare in Lubbock.
The StarCare specialty health system serves five west Texas counties (Cochran, Crosby, Hockley, Lubbock, and Lynn), plus a mobile crisis outreach team. Carter says many have used that resource as a way to seek treatment.
“They are definitely on the rise,” Carter said. “Our call volume has increased drastically over the past several years and it’s a vast array of reasons that people present to us.”
The CDC reports 12.8 million people seriously thought about suicide in 2023 alone. Signs can often include sleeping too much or too little, losing interest in things they once loved and feeling isolated.
Carter says if you’re going to talk to someone about this topic, it’s best to directly address the situation.
“The worst thing you can do is do nothing,” Carter said. “A lot of people are very scared to maybe ask that question, and trainings have really shown us that the best way to identify if someone is experiencing suicidal ideations is to readily ask them ‘are you having thoughts of suicide, are you having thoughts about killing yourself?”
Carter adds that’s one part of the equation. The other is to let those individuals be heard from and give them the opportunity to open up.
“If you’re ever in that moment, I encourage you to ask very open-ended questions,” Carter said. “Facilitate the conversation, get as much information from the person as you can. Say things like ‘what’s making you feel that way?”
StarCare services are available 24/7 for those in west Texas who need them as soon as possible. You can also call the 24/7 crisis line at (806) 740-1414 and StarCare’s mobile crisis outreach team can come to you because one life lost is one too many.
“Don’t lose hope,” Carter said. “Stay focused on the task at hand and do everything you can to try and help the person. I assure you that if you’re steadfast and you work with the person and you respect the person and treat them with dignity, you can help them on their journey to get through this struggle and get them to where they can feel better.”
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