Val Verde County proclaims May Mental Health Awareness Month amid staffing and bed shortages

Val Verde County’s Commissioners Court unanimously approved a proclamation declaring May 2026 Mental Health Awareness Month and heard local mental‑health providers outline growing gaps in crisis care.

At the start of the meeting, Alejandra Garcia, clinical lead for the Del Rio office of West Texas Counseling and Guidance, described the nonprofit’s services and an upcoming public awareness event. “In 2025 we saw 514 clients for a total of 5,289 sessions,” Garcia said, and she told the court that the office provided 122 zero‑suicide crisis appointments this year for people identified as at risk and in need of immediate intervention. Garcia invited schools, workplaces and community groups to request free suicide‑prevention presentations and shared a local event scheduled for the following day.

Rachel Sado, director of the county’s local mental‑health clinic, read the proclamation and explained how county providers coordinate crisis response and hospital transfers. Sado said local clinics work with law enforcement to arrange transport when inpatient beds are needed and noted that some area hospitals — including Laurel Ridge in San Antonio — recently closed beds or reduced capacity, stretching the region’s ability to place people requiring inpatient psychiatric care.

County officials said the absence of nearby psychiatric beds can force transfers to more distant hospitals. The Judge described specific local cases that illustrated the difficulty of securing inpatient placements and thanked providers for their work. After the presentations the court voted 5‑0 to adopt the proclamation and took a group photo with the visiting providers.

Why this matters: Commissioners said the proclamation is intended to boost public awareness and reduce stigma while county staff and local providers pursue practical steps — including outreach and training — to help people in crisis and reduce emergency room backlogs.

Next steps: Providers and the county flagged the need for continued coordination to find inpatient placements and improve local crisis resources; the proclamation was adopted and county staff will continue coordinating with mental‑health partners.