Suicide Prevention Task Force

Suicide Prevention Stakeholder Task Force Team


The task force brings together a diverse group of stakeholders to ensure broad representation across all sectors involved in suicide prevention activities across the state.

Tobi Amosun, MD, FAAP
Ibitola Asaolu, DrPH, MPH
Rachel Heitmann, MS
Terrence Love, MS
LaDonna Merville, BS

Jana Acy, MS
Hickman County Schools

Angie Allen
Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Rural Health and Health Access

Monique Anthony, MPH, CHES
TN Department of Health

Jennifer Armstrong
Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Paul Augustyniak
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention/Tennessee

John Averitt, Ph.D.
Cookeville Regional Medical Center

Kendall Baubie
Maury County Health Department

Alexandra Bettis, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Chief Jeff Bledsoe
Tennessee Sheriffs Association

Natalie Boyd
Obion County Health Department

Mary Nell Bryan
Children’s Hospital Alliance of TN

Aijahlon Carden, LMSW
TN Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Kanika Chatkara
Tennessee Department of Health

Ariel Clark, PharmD
Tennessee Pharmacists Association

Carolina Clark, MD
Tennessee Department of Health

Karin Collins, DVM
Animal Wellness Veterinarian Hospital

David Connor
Tennessee County Services Association

Jolene E Cook, PsyD, LCSW
Vetarans Administration

Fred Croom
TN Department of Health

Clay Crownover
Associated Builders and Contractors- Greater Tennessee

Elizabeth Davis, MA
TN Department of Education

Paula Denslow, CBIS
TN Disability Coalition

Shannon DePont
Tennessee Department of Health

Ramona Dew
Knox County Schools

Tresea Donelson
TN Department of Health

James Dunn
Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability

Audrey Elion
Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County

Sarah Elliott, MPH
TN Department of Health

Wendy Elmo
Brain Links

Caitlin Ensley, MSW
Mental Health Association

Clark Flatt, BS, M.Div.
The Jason Foundation

Chief Deb Faulkner
Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police

Nichelle Foster, LMFT
Metro Nashville Health Department

Mary Fox
Pinewood Springs

Jan Frechette, BS
Rhea and Bledsoe County Health Departments

James Gay, MD, MMHC
Division of General Pediatrics, Vanderbilt

Monika Hauck
Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network

Elizabeth Hart
Tennessee Department of Health

Megan Hart
TN Disability Pathfinder

Andrew Heim
Centerstone Research Institute

Jaime Hensley
Unicoi County Health Department

Tesha Leann Humphrey
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Margaret Hyder
Tennessee Department of Health

Anthony Jackson
TN Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Kearee Jackson
Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network

Bill Jolley
TriStar Health Alliance

Shannon Jones
Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability

Desiree Kelly
Tennessee Primary Care Association

Angela Keyzers
Centerstone Research Institute

Heather Kreth
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Natasha Kurth, MBA, MHA
Children's Emergency Care Alliance at Vanderbilt

Kimberly Lamar
TN Department of Health

Melecia Lambert
Giles County Schools

Andy Lawrence
Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Michelle Lawrence
The Mediation Center

Kirk Lawson
Tennessee Nurses Association

Misty Leitsch
Tennessee National Guard

Mike Leventhal
Tennessee Men’s Health Network

Adele Lewis, MD
TN Department of Health

Mary Linden
Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Chance Littrell
Mental Health America of the Mid-South

Emily Lunn
Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network

Kayce Matthews, MA, CPS 1
Coalition for Healthy and Safe Campus Communities

Carol McDonald, BA
TN Department of Agriculture

Brook McKelvey, MPH, MA
Metro Nashville Health Department

Rebecca McKinney
Washington County Health Department

Elise McMillian, J.D.
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

Sarah Metter
HCA Healthcare

Kayla Mumphrey
Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Travis Murphy
Tennessee Department of Veteran Services

Harper-Grace Niedermeyer
Tennessee Department of Health

Eve Nite, BA
Erlanger Behavioral Health

Angela Okonji
Tennessee Department of Health

Lori Paisley, MA
TN Department of Education

Mark Patterson
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Sandra Perley, Ed.D, MSN, RN
Community Advocate, Survivor of Suicide Loss

Elliot Pinsly, LCSW
Behavioral Health Foundation

Makayla Ratcliffe
Washington County Health Department

Sue Reichelt
University of Tennessee

Emily Roberts
Tennova Turkey Creek Medical Center

Heather Sedges
University of Tennessee Extension, Institute of Agriculture

Raquel Shutze , LPC-MHSP
Youth Villages

Heatherly Sifford, BSPH
Johnson City Medical Center

Joey Smith, BS
Montgomery County Health Department

Kristin Smith
Parkridge Valley Hospital

Kevin Spratlin, MS, NRP
Memphis Fire Department

Becky Stoll, LCSW
Centerstone

Elizabeth Strand, LCSW
University of Tennessee Colleges of Social Work and Veterinary Medicine

Jessica Schwartzman
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Karrie Thompson
Drug-Free Dickson Coalition

Drew Turner DNP, MBA, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC
James H. Quillen VAMC

Colin Walsh, MD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Evangeline Watanabe
Handle with Care/Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

Megan Williams, MA
Centerstone

Marisa Whitsett, LPC-MHSP, NCC
Alliance Healthcare Services

Are you interested in being involved in the Suicide Prevention Taskforce? Reach out to LaDonna Merville at LaDonna.Merville@tn.gov.