SAN ANTONIO – The 2023 death of Melissa Perez has drawn widespread attention across the San Antonio community, including from local mental health advocates.
“It was a tragedy for Melissa Perez’s family. It was a tragedy for our community. It was a tragedy for the police officers and the police department, and hopefully we do learn something moving forward and that we don’t see a repeat of this kind of situation,” said Doug Beach, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness – Greater San Antonio.
Beach said education is key. Organizations like NAMI offer free classes and resources to help families understand mental illness and connect loved ones to help sooner.
The NAMI Bexar Warm Line was created last October as a free, pre-crisis line connecting people to specialists who can lend a compassionate ear and offer support. It’s available not only for those living with a mental health condition, but also for family members and friends seeking advice. Support through the Warm Line is available daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. at 210-939-9999.
The Warm Line trained specialists have connected callers to resources, including mental health services, affordable housing, food assistance, and more. In Bexar County, 1 in 4 people live with a mental illness, that’s over 500,000 people. 1 in 6 youth age, 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year 1 in 6, U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year 50% of all life-time mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
However, Beach emphasized that if someone is in danger — to themselves or others — the best course of action is to call 911.
“At that point, when you call, the public needs to ask for a mental health unit officer and clearly identify the mental health issue that they’re dealing with,” Beach said.
He added that callers can also request the SA CORE Unit or the county’s SMART Team to respond. Both include members trained to communicate with people experiencing a mental health crisis.
For more information: www.nami-sat.org.