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.
Melissa Alardo, BA
Ibitola Asaolu, DrPH, MPH
Terrence Love, MS
LaDonna Merville, BS
Angela Miller, MPH
Ashley Moore, MPH
William Thomson, MPH
Jana Acy, MS
Hickman County Schools
Monique Anthony, MPH, CHES
TN Department of Health
Paul Augustyniak
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention/Tennessee
John Averitt, Ph.D.
Cookeville Regional Medical Center
Sam Barnard, Ph.D.
Barnard & Associates, P.C,/PAR Foundation
Nichol Bates
Mental Health Cooperative
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
Kristina Bradford
Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration
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
Stephanie Evans
TSPN Volunteer
Clark Flatt, BS, M.Div.
The Jason Foundation
Chief Deb Faulkner
Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police
Mary Fox
Pinewood Springs
Jan Frechette, BS
Rhea and Bledsoe County Health Departments
James Gay, MD, MMHC
Division of General Pediatrics, Vanderbilt
Jamie Grammer
Tennessee Department of Education
Monika Hauck
Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network
April Hanners
Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Elizabeth Hart
Meharry Medical College
Megan Hart
TN Disability Pathfinder
Andrew Heim
Centerstone Research Institute
Jamie Hensley
Greene County Health Department
Tesha Leann Humphrey
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
Carlye Hutchison
Legacy Center
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
Kirk Lawson
Tennessee Nurses Association
Misty Leitsch
Tennessee National Guard
Mike Leventhal
Tennessee Men’s Health Network
Adele Lewis, MD
TN Department of Health
Chance Littrell
Mental Health America of the Mid-South
Emily Lunn
Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network
Markita Madden
Rural Health Association of Tennessee
Kayce Matthews, MA, CPS 1
Coalition for Healthy and Safe Campus Communities
Carol McDonald, BA
TN Department of Agriculture
Melissa McGee
Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth
Brook McKelvey, MPH, MA
Metro Nashville 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
Scott Payne
CONTACT Care Line
Elliot Pinsly, LCSW
Behavioral Health Foundation
Makayla Ratcliffe
Washington County Health Department
Emily Roberts
Tennova Turkey Creek Medical Center
Mary Linden Salter
Tennessee Association of Alcohol, Drug & other Addiction Services
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
Kevin Spratlin, MS, NRP
Memphis Fire Department
Becky Stoll, LCSW
Centerstone
Elizabeth Strand, LCSW
University of Tennessee Colleges of Social Work and Veterinary Medicine
Chelsea Swanson, MSSW
Mental Health America of the MidSouth
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
Leslie Welky
The Jason Foundation
Marisa Whitsett, LPC-MHSP, NCC
Alliance Healthcare Services
Jennifer Witham
Tennessee Department of Health
Megan Williams
Centerstone
Brittany Willis
Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Are you interested in being involved in the Suicide Prevention Taskforce? Reach out to LaDonna Merville at LaDonna.Merville@tn.gov.