Valley Awareness and Prevention for Suicide Coalition moves forward

WASILLA — Valley Awareness and Prevention for Suicide Coalition, or VAPS, is a local nonprofit that’s focused on saving as many lives as possible.

The group is blanketed under MyHouse, and it was founded by case manager and suicide prevention specialist, Justin Pendergrass. He discussed ideas and plans of action to form a cohesive vision and mission statement to propel the budding group forward after a massive delay caused by the pandemic during the most recent VAPS meeting.

“Every life matters when it comes to suicide,” Pendergrass said. “I made the call, but the community got behind it and really helped it grow.”

Pendergrass originally started VAPS with Mat-Su Public Health Center PHN, Sonja Engle and other members of the community in 2019. He said that Engle and others had to step back due to COVID-19, but she plans to return.

“She will re-engage. She will be coming back. It’s just a matter of when,” Pendergrass said.

Pendergrass has kept VAPS going throughout the pandemic, and he’s been regaining lost ground with a new sense of momentum. He said that numerous people from different groups have agencies helped him through the rough patches, and he’s seeing an increase in overall participation.

“It survived the pandemic,” Pendergrass said.

VAPS has gone to virtual meetings over Zoom. During the most recent meeting, representatives from various community groups and organizations participated to share their experiences and insight to aid Pendergrass’s aspirations. He said that building connections with adjacent agencies that coincide with the VAPS mission not only strengthens the up and coming coalition but the entire community’s existing continuum of care as well.

“The community support in VAPS meetings is just growing... So for us to brainstorm as a community on how we can help each other grow is really cool to see. I think that we’re definitely working in a positive, correct direction on what this coalition can do,” Pendergrass said.

During the roundtable discussion, participants like Mat-Su Opioid Task Force founder, Michael Carson helped Pendergrass form a working vision. He said it will be further refined over time, but he was greatly encouraged by the productive starting point that reflects where he would like to see VAPS go.

“So, our vision is, ‘we envision a well connected community that is free of suicide,’” Pendergrass said.

Looking forward, Pendergrass aims to keep expanding VAPS, identifying gaps in care in the community, and find ways to close them to turn around the rates of suicide in the community.

For more information about Valley Awareness and Prevention for Suicide Coalition, visit the Facebook page.

VAPS meets the second Tuesday of every month over Zoom. To attend the next meeting, email Pendergrass for a link at justin@myhousematsu.org.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com