Zero Suicide Faculty

Brian Ahmedani is a research scientist and licensed clinical social worker who has particular expertise in suicide prevention. He has led and participated in numerous federal and other funded studies on suicide prevention and has also conducted an evaluation of the award-winning Perfect Depression Care/Zero Suicide program at Henry Ford Health System. Dr. Ahmedani has provided training and consultation on the Zero Suicide Model and Evidence-Based Suicide Prevention Approaches in healthcare settings both nationally and internationally.  

“The Zero Suicide Model just makes sense. It’s really a health care model focused on caring about people that’s ultimately designed to continue to improve over time as more evidence becomes available.”

Bart Andrews, PhD, is Vice President of Telehealth and Home/Community Services at Behavioral Health Response. Dr. Andrews is the Co-Chair of the Suicide Lifeline’s Standards, Training and Practices committee, a member of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s (SPRC) Steering Committee, a ZeroSuicide Academy Faculty member and member of the American Association of Suicidology’s Executive Board of Directors. Dr. Andrews served on the board of the National Association of Crisis Organization Directors for 9 years (2009-2018), his last two serving as Board President. Dr. Andrews is a suicide attempt survivor and a proponent of embracing of lived expertise in our suicide prevention efforts.

"I believe that the path to suicide prevention must be framed in the context of relationships, community, and culture."

Sarah Bernes provides training and technical assistance to IAFF affiliates across the United States and Canada. Previously, Ms. Bernes served as the Director of Suicide Prevention at the Institute for Family Health, a network of federally qualified health centers in New York where she oversaw all activities related to caring for suicidal patients including training, policy, and research. She also provided individual and group therapy to a small caseload of high-risk patients. At the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, Education Development Center, Ms. Bernes founded the Zero Suicide Institute and was instrumental in developing the Zero Suicide Toolkit. She received her master's in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public and her master's in social work from the University of Maryland.

"Zero Suicide will only be possible if we suspend belief that it cannot be done."

Greg Brown is the co-developer of the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale and the Safety Plan Intervention, along with Dr. Barbara Stanley, that are widely used evidence-based practices that may be utilized in Zero Suicide implementation. Dr. Brown is also the co-developer of the Cognitive Therapy for Suicide, several prevention interventions, a brief psychotherapy intervention which has been shown to prevent suicide attempts.

"The Zero Suicide approach provides a touchstone for health systems to raise awareness and implement evidence-based practices to reduce suicide."

Colbie Caughlan, MPH, is the Suicide Prevention Project Manager for project THRIVE (Tribal Health: Reaching out InVolves Everyone) at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB). Ms. Caughlan manages the SAMHSA Garret Lee Smith youth suicide prevention and IHS Substance Abuse & Suicide Prevention grants and provides suicide prevention training and technical assistance to Northwest Tribes. She also works to develop and disseminate culturally-appropriate suicide prevention materials and resources.

"With passion and hard work Zero Suicide can absolutely be achieved and sustained in our everyday work!"

Diana Cortez-Yanez serves as a Peer Specialist and DBT instructor at Harborview Hospital & the University of Washington. As a National Lived Experience Consultant, she has shared her story to benefit suicide prevention in many different venues and consulted with different organizations and educational institutions.

"What drew me to want to be a part of Zero Suicide was the direct approach to address suicide prevention at a systems level. I've always believed that sharing my experiences in the system would contribute to helping make the necessary changes."

David Covington is a member of the DHHS Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) established in 2017 in accordance with the 21st Century Cures Act to report to Congress on advances in behavioral health. Mr. Covington is the President-Elect of the American Association of Suicidology and has served on the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Executive Committee since 2010. He is also the Chair of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline SAMHSA Steering Committee. He co-chaired the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Clinical Care & Intervention Task Force with Dr. Michael Hogan.

"Zero Suicide is the catalyst for a new approach in health care, one that pushes through the fatalism around this wicked challenge, and introduces...hope!" 

Lia Gaggino has been a general pediatrician for nearly 30 years with an interest in mental health and is now the medical director for behavioral health for children and adults in the Bronson Healthcare Group system. Bronson was awarded a one-year grant that allowed the system to train staff and to develop suicide prevention processes and we continue to build integrated behavioral health practices in primary care with a focus on the Zero Suicide model with an emphasis on identification, risk assessment, safety planning and coordinated care.

"Zero Suicide has given us a framework to respond to patients at risk of suicide with a well-outlined process and numerous resources to support our staff and leaders. Before Zero Suicide individual clinicians did the best they could without direction; with Zero Suicide we have a plan."

Laurie Gerdt is a licensed mental health counselor with nineteen years of direct care service in both acute psychiatric inpatient and community mental health settings within a larger healthcare system. Ms. Gerdt's current role is as Program Manager for the SAMHSA Garret Lee Smith youth suicide prevention Indiana award. Gerdt is also the current chair for the Indiana Suicide Prevention Network Advisory Council, which is comprised of members from the private and public sector as well as numerous state agencies, who collaborate on suicide prevention efforts.

The Zero Suicide model breaks down the walls of what has historically been a segregated society between mental health care and health care.  The Zero Suicide model helps us preach to new audiences versus preaching to the choir.

Leah Harris is a trainer and consultant to the federally-funded National Center for Trauma-Informed Care (NCTIC). She is a trauma survivor and suicide attempt survivor and brings her lived experience to all aspects of her suicide prevention work. Ms. Harris is especially interested in speaking and writing about the intersection of traumatic experience and suicidality, peer support, and mind-body resilience-building skills and strategies.

“Among the many things I appreciate about Zero Suicide is the deep and enduring commitment to honoring and infusing the wisdom and insight that comes from lived experience throughout the approach.” 

Jenna Heise has over twenty-two years working in the field of behavioral health as a nationally certified counselor, trainer, and administrator. For the last seven years, she has been the statewide Suicide Prevention Coordinator in Texas. She oversees all suicide care services in the public mental health system, implements/analyzes suicide prevention legislation, and has acted as project director for two federal statewide suicide prevention grants.

"Having been part of Zero Suicide since the beginning, I believed in the ideas being pulled together because it intuitively made sense. I had been in the field working as a therapist, an administrator, I had personal experience with suicide. All of these led me to know that this systems approach in healthcare was going to work and was critical. When we finally saw the model come together and how strong it was, it was no surprise to me when the historical data from our beginnings with Henry Ford began to show in other places really working for fidelity with Zero Suicide. It has been remarkable to watch everything grow. You must be part of this, it is truly LIFE CHANGING!"

Mike Hogan spent 25 years managing the mental health systems in Connecticut, Ohio, and New York and now works independently as a consultant and advisor on high-urgency mental health issues including suicide prevention. Dr. Hogan chaired President George W. Bush’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, which recommended “forming a national level public-private partnership to advance…the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention" and now serves on that body: the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Executive Committee. He also served as the first behavioral health field representative on the board of The Joint Commission, and on the National Mental Health Advisory Committee for the NIMH. Dr. Hogan co-chaired the Action Alliance’s Crisis Care and Clinical Care and Interventions Task Forces and works nationally to advance suicide prevention in health care (Zero Suicide) which emerged from the Clinical Care effort.

“My major professional mission—with the Zero Suicide Institute and beyond it—is to work toward a health care system where suicidal people are safe and have hope.”

David A. Jobes, Ph.D., ABPP, is a Professor of Psychology and Associate Director of Clinical Training at The Catholic University of America; he is an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He has published six books and numerous peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Jobes is a past President of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and he is the recipient of various awards for his scientific work including the 1995 AAS “Shneidman Award” (early career contribution to suicidology), the 2012 AAS “Dublin Award” (for career contributions in suicidology), and the 2016 AAS “Linehan Award” (for suicide treatment research). He has been a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Defense, and Veterans Affairs. Dr. Jobes is a member of the Scientific Council and the Public Policy Council of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and is Board certified in clinical psychology (American Board of Professional Psychology). Dr. Jobes maintains a private clinical, consulting, and forensic practice in Washington DC. 

Sue Jungen, an AODA Clinical Supervisor Consultant, began her career in 1979 as a Substance Abuse Counselor and retired in 2014 as the Director of Behavioral Health Services for Affinity Health System in Appleton, WI. As a recognized leader in the Mental Health field during those 35 years, Ms. Jungen was able to bring many advancements in Mental Health to my community, including learnings from a collaboration with Dr. E. Coffey at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. She has been involved with the Zero Suicide Institute for one year and with the Zero Suicide initiative in Wisconsin for the past three years.

"The work of the Zero Suicide Institute is breathing life into the Mental Health field, and I am proud to be part of the team."

Candace Landmark has worked most of her career in Behavioral Health as a registered nurse or nursing/operations leader. She has worked in a variety of settings including acute, residential, and community providing behavioral health care. Currently, she oversees operations for 135-bed behavioral health inpatient service as well as a crisis service in the Indianapolis area.

"Suicide is Preventable, Recovery is Possible, Treatment Works."

Virna Little is a nationally and internationally-known speaker around integrating primary care and behavioral health services, collaborative care and the development of viable behavioral health services in community health settings. Dr. Little is an advocate for integrated delivery systems and behavioral health workforce and development. She worked as a senior leader for a community health center network overseeing a department of over 300 staff consisting of specialized mental health, care management, community-based programs, and social services for over twenty years. Currently, she works with the Center for Innovation in Mental Health and the New York City Department of Health providing support to several of the New York City Mental Health Roadmap THRIVE initiatives, such as the maternal depression collaborative. Before joining the city, Dr. Little provided social services at the Department of Corrections and was a domestic violence coordinator chosen by the Mayor’s office in New York City to promote family violence identification and prevention. She is a federally-certified Department of Transportation substance abuse professional and a certified New York State Mandated Reporter child abuse trainer. Virna Little joined The Center for Innovation In Mental Health (CIMH) at City University of New York (CUNY) School of Public Health in 2017 as Associate Director in Clinical Innovation in Mental Health and was quickly promoted to Director of the Center in early 2018. Dr. Little has served on the Zero Suicide Institute Faculty since 2015.

“What drew me to Zero Suicide was the ability to engage primary care."

Jean Scallon is the Regional Vice-President, Network Development for Springstone, Inc. with responsibility for Indiana, Ohio, Kansas, and North Carolina.  Scallon works with teams to implement innovative strategies to be able to meet consumers where they are at when they need support most. Ms. Scallon also adjuncts at Indiana University, sits on the Board of the Indiana Hospital Association, and Chairs the Behavioral Health Council for IHA. She is on the Zero Suicide Grant Advisory for Indiana and is passionate about suicide prevention.

“Every life counts and approaching care with the right attitude is key to saving someone. The Zero Suicide Principles encourage dialog, research and partnerships at all levels of care. It’s humbling."

Toni Simonson is responsible for the overall operations of Behavioral Health Services in the Western Wisconsin Division of Hospital Sisters Health System and Prevea Health. Ms. Simonson has a PhD in Psychology and is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Substance Abuse Counselor with over thirty years of behavioral health experience. An advocate for and recognized leader in the area of suicide prevention, she has provided training and consultation to many health care organizations and community programs across the state of Wisconsin. Simonson has served on the Zero Suicide Institute Faculty since the summer of 2016.

“Zero Suicide simply makes sense. There isn’t a target other than Zero that I can envision striving for when considering suicide. One loss is one too many."

Brad Steinfeld has been a mental health clinician for the past thirty years. In those thirty years, Dr. Steinfeld has had multiple administrative positions within an integrated delivery system focused on population-based approaches to mental health care. For the past five years, Kaiser Northwest has focused on the development of Zero Suicide care processes with specialty behavioral health as well as primary care. Dr. Steinfeld has served as a Zero Suicide Faculty since September 2017

"There is nothing more important than prevention of suicide."

Becky Stoll is responsible for the overall operation of Centerstone’s Crisis and Disaster Management services. Ms. Stoll graduated from Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee with a BS in Psychology. She received her Master’s in the Science of Social Work from the University of Tennessee in Nashville, Tennessee. Ms. Stoll is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 20 years of behavioral health experience. She is a recognized leader in the areas of crisis services, disaster mental health, and suicide prevention. She is a member of the National Action Alliance’s "Zero Suicides in Healthcare" Advisory Group as well as serving as a faculty and mentor. Ms. Stoll has provided training, consultation, and response nationally and internationally to aviation, banking, educational institutions, emergency response organizations, and professional sports. Ms. Stoll is a Board-Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress and a Diplomate of the American Association of Experts in Traumatic Stress. She is a Certified Employee Assistance Professional.

Rick Strait is a licensed professional counselor and certified substance abuse counselor. Mr. Strait is also a suicide attempt survivor. Strait has worked with the co-occurring population for eighteen years. He is a board member of the Eastern Chapter of Missouri American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and serves as the education chair and well as an advocacy ambassador. He has helped organize multiple suicide awareness conferences in Missouri. Strait’s unique ability to bridge his knowledge with his lived experience provides him with a depth of understanding and practical application to better serve the consumers and the programs he works with.

“Zero Suicide is a practical and manageable solution that saves lives.”

In her current position, Kim Walton is responsible for nursing professional practice and operations in all ambulatory care practices within Community Health Network. Ms. Walton is a Clinical Nurse Specialist and has over thirty years of nursing experience mostly focused in Behavioral Health. Her areas of expertise include crisis intervention, trauma-informed care and suicide prevention in both behavioral health and primary care practices. Ms. Walton has served as Zero Suicide Faculty since 2015.

"My role with the Zero Suicide Institute and specifically as Faculty for the Academy is some of the most rewarding and challenging work in my career. What a better aspirational goal than zero suicides of persons in our health care system? The tools and the teams give me hope and energy to stay the course as we are learning more from this work and the voice of lived experience every day.”

Donald Warne is a family physician who has worked in primary care medicine, public health, research, and academics. Dr. Warne earned his MD from Stanford University and his MPH from Harvard University. He has been on the Zero Suicide Faculty since 2016.

"Suicide has touched many lives in Indian Country, including mine. I lost a nephew and an uncle to suicide. We must do everything in our power to end this epidemic!"

Ursula Whiteside is a psychologist, researcher, resource developer, and trainer who specializes in the treatment and management of suicidal thoughts and behavior. Dr. Whiteside is CEO of NowMattersNow.org, Clinical Faculty at the University of Washington, and has been awarded grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. She has served as Zero Suicide Faculty since 2013.

"I want health systems to know their cracks–where they are losing people to suicide–where they are failing–and to lean on Zero Suicide to solve that problem. Model organizations who have had success don't reinvent the wheel and get their lived experience partners at the table."