Laura Hernandez Gold

LCSW-S

Laura Hernandez Gold is the Suicide Prevention & Project AWARE co-coordinator at the Texas Department of Health and Human Services Office of Mental Health Coordination. She is a licensed clinical social worker with more than 25 years working at the community, county, and state levels in Texas. "My work has strived to improve the mental health of communities," she says.

Currently, Laura co-coordinates the Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education (AWARE) grant with the Texas Education Agency's coordinator. Project AWARE is a five-year pilot study designed to strengthen community and school-based supports for the mental health and resiliency of students.

Previously, Laura oversaw mental health, suicide prevention, and disaster preparedness programs for Integral Care, the community mental health center for Travis County, Texas. Before that, she spent 10 years as a social worker for the Austin school district and provided crisis intervention to 11 campuses.