Rick and Erika Miller
Rick and Erika Miller are committed to inspiring change, promoting philanthropy and improving the world around them. Their gifts to Lines for Life are the largest individual gifts in our 25 year history. These gifts have been instrumental in the growth and expansion of our services. Specifically, these funds provided a level of stability necessary to explore and evaluate strategic growth of our organization. This stability underpinned our recent expansion of existing programs and services and the evaluation and addition of new ones.
Safina Koreishi, MD, MPH
Dr. Koreishi, Medical Director for Columbia Pacific CCO, develops clinical strategies and priorities in collaboration with the CCO’s Clinical Advisory Panel and is passionate about reducing opioid use. She is a statewide thought leader, innovator and expert on finding solutions to end Oregon’s opioid crisis, and a member of the Governor’s Opioid Task Force. She successfully adapted OrCRM’s model for statewide summits created to address this crisis.
NAMI Oregon and Chris Bouneff
NAMI Oregon and its remarkable leader, Chris Bouneff, are at the forefront of advocacy for people struggling with mental illness and their families. NAMI serves as a vital resource to families struggling with mental illness – from the complexities of navigating the health care system to the day-to-day challenges of living in a world that simply does not well understand what it’s like live with mental illness. NAMI and Chris have been key partners in helping us meet the needs of the thousands of people we talk to in crisis every year – both people reaching out to us about their own mental wellness and those struggling to help family and loved ones. We couldn’t be there if NAMI wasn’t there – thanks to Chris and NAMI!
Laura Heesacker
Laura is a social worker and behavioral health specialist with Jackson Care Connect and a member of the Oregon Pain Guidance Group in Southern Oregon. Laura coined the term, “Shift Happens”, meaning health care providers need to shift their thinking about behavioral health like any other health problem a patient might bring to the doctor’s office. Laura is making this shift happen by helping providers and clinics implement best practice pain care and develop skills to increase provider engagement in difficult conversations with patients about strategies to safely manage pain without opioids. Laura has presented at OrCRM’s regional summits and is currently working with Lines for Life to host the 2018 Oregon Conference on Opioids, Pain and Addiction Treatment. Her dedication rooted in heart-felt compassion about helping others is a light that shines brightly in everything she does.
Mary Monnat
Mary Monnat is the CEO of Lifeworks, meeting the behavioral health needs of thousands of Oregonians and their families. Mary has for many years been a leading light in Oregon’s behavioral health community – bringing innovation and effectiveness and always a smile to every project she launches. And Mary has been a partner Lines for Life can rely on for much of our history. Mary’s contributions to Lines for Life are hard to summarize in brief, but one watershed innovation bears mention: Mary brought Lifeworks to Lines for Life as our very first contract client for crisis intervention services. We followed the model we established with Mary into one of our most important services – we now serve nearly 20 partners, providing crisis intervention services to health care systems, behavioral health providers, a tribal nation and many others. Thanks Mary for helping us lead the way!
Lisa Millet
Lisa Millet has provided dedicated leadership for this program since 1998, spearheading initiatives for opioid misuse in Oregon, and leading efforts to reduce the number deaths from prescription drugs and suicide. Lines for Life works in partnership with Lisa on suicide and substance abuse prevention projects. Thanks to her writing skills and visionary methods, she has helped secure grants and funding to advance the mission to end opioid misuse.
Law Enforcement
Sergeant Troy King is the leader of the Portland Police Bureau’s Crisis Negotiation Team and has 28 years of law enforcement experience. His commitment to helping individuals struggling with issues that define our mission is remarkable. He has taught numerous negotiation-related classes across the nation and is highly respected in his field. We place tremendous value on our relationship with PPB, and Troy has been key to this partnership. One component of this partnership has been team-teaching and co-presenting with members of our staff on how to recognize and interact with individuals in mental health crisis.
Portland Police Bureau Lieutenant and Chief’s Adjutant, Chuck Lovell, has spent many hours as a volunteer answering calls on our suicide Lifeline and the Veterans Crisis Line. This honing of his de-escalation skills translated directly to his Police work. Chuck was a member of the Crisis Negotiation Team and prior to his new position as Chief’s Adjutant, he worked in the Human Trafficking Unit. Chuck is also an Air Force veteran having served 3 tours in the Middle East.
Rod Underhill is the District Attorney for Multnomah County, Oregon. As a law enforcement leader, a neighbor, a dad and a friend, Rod has been a critical partner for Lines for Life. Rod has been a lifelong champion for prevention and has played an instrumental role in building and supporting Lines for Life prevention initiatives. With his own family experience, Rod has provided invaluable counsel in our strategies for tackling the opioid crisis. Rod has brought a commitment to public safety, tempered with compassion and justice, that has been critical in protecting our communities and our families. And Rod’s support for Lines for Life has brought credibility and seriousness that have opened doors and amplified our work in countless important ways.
Amy Baker
Amy Baker, Executive Director of Clatsop County Behavioral Health, has over 20 years of fierce advocacy for both youth and adults promoting recovery and mental wellness. Her work at Umpqua Community College (UCC) demonstrates her passion for helping communities to heal and grow. Amy has been instrumental in shaping policy and clinical practice in Oregon and we are thrilled to work with her and her wonderful team as backup clinical support to their callers in need.
Pacific Bells
Tom Cook, Founder and CEO of Pacific Bells, and Eric Simko, President of Pacific Bells, are long time generous supporters of our YouthLine program. They have championed and secured, through the Taco Bell Foundation, sustaining support for YouthLine, as well as generous scholarships for YouthLine youth volunteers. Without these funds YouthLine would not be what it is today; a robust program that has served tens of thousands of youth around the state and beyond, with high quality classroom/community education and outreach and crisis line services, including peer-to-peer support by phone, text, chat and email. Tom and Eric have also made extremely generous personal gifts to Lines for Life. We are so grateful for their support and commitment.
Caroline Cruz
Caroline Cruz, General Manager for Health and Human Services for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, is a well-known and respected leader in the substance abuse prevention field in Oregon and a strong advocate for tribal communities. Our work has crossed paths with Caroline many times over the past 25 years and we are currently looking to her for guidance and collaboration on the planning of an Oregon Tribal Opioid Summit in 2018.
Jill Dale
Jill Dale, consummate collaborator and a good friend of Lines for Life, is currently working with Yamhill County’s Health and Human Services. Jill has been in the Addictions field for more than 25 years. Lines for Life first worked with Jill in the 90’s. She has provided her expertise as a Prevention Specialist and coalition builder to many projects and campaigns spearheaded by Lines for Life. From Target Meth trainings to Prescription Drug summit planning, Jill has partnered, supported and championed her way into the hearts of Lines for Life and made a significant difference in the prevention field in Oregon.
Spirit Mountain
Lines for Life has received generous grant funding for multiple projects and programs from Spirit Mountain Community Fund. Our most recent grant from the fund will support expansion of our YouthLine program through outreach into communities in need of our prevention and intervention services specifically for youth. The fund has also generously supported our Military Helpline which supports veterans, service members and military families in crisis. We are so grateful to the Spirit Mountain Community Fund and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, and their commitment to healthier and happier communities.
The Standard
Caring about people is a core value at The Standard and Lines for Life has first-hand experience of this commitment. Currently two of our board members are employees of The Standard: Dan McMillan, Vice President, Employee Benefits, has devoted countless hours as a multiple-term Board Member and former Board President; Todd Johnston, Vice President, Customer Service and Shared Services, has lent his expertise in helping to evaluate new opportunities for Lines for Life. In addition to Lines for Life being a beneficiary of significant corporate grant funding from the Standard, The Standard’s employees of are among Lines for Life’s most generous and steadfast supporters.
Lines for Life Board
We are deeply grateful for the leadership, expertise and dedication of our board. We are growing and improving because of their serious commitment.
John Hart – Partner at Hart Wagner LLP. A long time board member and is highly respected and known for his thoroughness, fairness and integrity. John is a perfect combination for a non-profit Board Member due to his generous spirit, sage and incisive advice, leadership and philanthropic support.
Nan Waller – Community leader and Multnomah County Presiding Judge Nan Waller – Long-term Board Member and champion of our mission, with a particular focus on our prevention work. Nan is a tremendous advocate for our work through her experience, knowledge and commitment.
Chris Gibson – Oregon HIDTA Executive Director and long-term Board Member and partner in our work. Chris is dedicated to reducing/eliminating drug trafficking and its harmful consequences. His expertise, experience and knowledge are invaluable to Lines for Life.
Musse Olol – Musse is a relatively new addition to our Board but is passionate about making a difference, especially for veterans and for the Somali American population, for which cultural norms can present barriers to recognition, treatment and recovery. Musse is an engineer and Chairman of the Somali American Council of Oregon.
Nathan Sasaki – Executive Director or Apex Real Estate Partners. Nathan is a generous supporter and former board member. After many years of service, Nathan recently had to step off the board due to other commitments. However, he remains a strong advocate for us and for our mission and has helped us immensely as an expert advisor regarding our real-estate needs.
Leslie Golden – President of Instill Security LLC. Leslie embodies passion in all she does. She is a fearless leader and has been a driving force with regard to the organizations strategic visioning and planning. As well as being an outstanding board member, she trained as a Crisis Intervention Specialist and volunteers regularly on the crisis lines.
Patty Buehler – Dr. Patty Buehler, ophthalmologist and business owner, has been hugely helpful with our YouthLine expansion project in Central Oregon. Patty has helped us to develop relationships in the community with partners, stakeholders and funders. She has organized fundraisers and advocacy events, championing our mission across the board.
Judy Cushing
One of the founders and CEO from the outset until 2014, Judy Cushing is a force-of-nature. Judy’s vision, passion and commitment steered the organization through good times and challenges, establishing Lines for Life as a leader in the fields of prevention and intervention and a ‘go-to’ advisor on related policy matters, both locally and nationally. Judy has been a fearless pioneer in championing education, awareness and de-stigmatization of the issues that define Lines for Life.
Lines for Life Team
- Joanne Burdic – Joanne Burdic was a founding Board Member and has stayed involved since then as a staff member and as a volunteer on the crisis lines…and her passion has rubbed off on her granddaughter, who is a volunteer on our YouthLine.
- Former YouthLine Volunteer and Current Staff Member, Alex Gorretta, has been a wonderful addition to the YouthLine team since he completed his training in the summer of 2013 at age 15. His humor, compassion and dedication make YouthLine a better place and has embodied many of the ethos of YouthLine, including empathy, destigmatizing mental health, and promoting help seeking.
- David Westbrook – Long time staff member, COO, David has tirelessly championed the organization and the mission. His passion for helping those we serve is unrivalled and his leadership and expertise has been key to the strategic growth of the organization.