Jerry Gabay, JD
Member of the Board, NAMI Oregon
Jerry Gabay, a retired attorney, teacher, and non-profit director, is an advocate for better care for the mentally ill. He is a member of the board of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Oregon and was a member of the steering committee which produced the Oregon State Youth Suicide Prevention Plan. He co-authored, with Dr. Stewart Newman, MD, the Checklist for Health Providers and Mental Health Practitioner and the Family Checklist which form the basis for this presentation. He and Dr. Newman have published articles on communication with families in the NAMI Advocate, the American Association of Suicidality News and in the newsletter of the Oregon Psychiatric Physicians Association, and have presented to a wide variety of professional and lay groups on this subject, both nationally and regionally. He and Dr. Newman shared the 2013 Access Award, presented by the Oregon Psychiatric Physicians Association to persons who significantly improve access to mental health care in Oregon.
James Hanson, MEd
School Psychologist, Portland Public Schools
James “Jim” Hanson, MEd, is a school psychologist for Portland Public Schools in Oregon. He has been implementing school-based dialectical behavioral therapy at Lincoln High School for nine years. Jim served as the president/past president of the Oregon Association of School Psychologists (OSPA) three times. Jim served twice on the Oregon Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative’s 5-year plan. He is a contributing author to RESPONSE: A High School Based Suicide Awareness Curriculum, and he is the lead author of Implementing DBT in Public Schools.
Joan Schweizer Hoff, MA
Coordinator of Special Projects and Training, The Dougy Center: National Center for Grieving
Joan, Coordinator of Special Projects and Training has worked for The Dougy Center, National Center for Grieving Children and Families since 1992. She coordinates peer support grief groups including groups for children, teens and their families who are bereaved from deaths by suicide, murder, and other traumas. She has over 40 years of experience in working with children and families and has served on a variety of local and national boards including the American Foundation for Suicide prevention (AFSP) Survivor Council, Suicide Bereavement Support Group. She is a National trainer for AFSP Support Group for children and Teens. She is a member of NOVA, National Office of Victims Assistance, American Association of Suicidology, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and National Alliance for Grieving Children. She conducts training nationally and internationally on issues related to program development; the impact of suicide, trauma and violent death on children, teens and their families; crisis response; and grief and loss issues for children and teens. She has supported children, teens, families, and staff after traumatic events including Thurston High Shooting, Oklahoma bombing, 9/11 and many local interventions. Personally she has experienced suicide death of her husband and is passionate about suicide prevention and postvention.
Jesse Homan, LPC, MS
Therapist and DBT Trainer, The Portland DBT Institute
Jesse Homan, LPC received his BA from Columbia College Chicago and his MS from Portland state University. He is currently working towards a PhD in Social Work at Portland State University where the focus of his work is on the use of technology to help disseminate evidenced based practices. Jesse has attended the DBT Advanced Intensive with Marsha Linehan, PhD, ABPP, and is currently supervised by Linda Dimeff, PhD. Jesse has co-authored research presentations and workshops that have been presented at the International Society for the Improvement of DBT. He has been a therapist at Portland DBT for the past four years and a DBT Trainer for the past two. He has been trained as a DBT adherence coder by Katie Korslund, PhD, ABPP. He currently codes on DBT research studies being conducted through the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics at the University of Washington.
Aimee C. Johnson, LCSW
Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Portland VA Health Care System
As a proud alumnus of Whittier College and the University of Michigan School of Social Work, Aimee’s clinical background includes juvenile justice, emergency department psychiatric social work, medical social work, Suicide Assessment & Follow-up Engagement Veteran Emergency Treatment (SAFE-VET Project) a five site Clincial Demonstration Project and owned a private therapy practice in Portland. Aimee currently works for the Portland VA Health Care System where she is the team lead as a Suicide Prevention Coordinator. When she is not at the VA, Aimee and her husband spend their down time chasing after their toddler son with his younger sister in tow.
Shane Lopez-Johnson, QMHA
Youth Development Program Manager, Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest. (NARA)
Shane Lopez-Johnston is an enrolled member with the Tolowa tribe. He has been working in the prevention field for the last decade for organizations like The Northwest Portland Area Indian Health, Department of Human Services, the Center of Substance Abuse Prevention, and the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest. Shane has a Bachelor of Science from Portland State University, is certified as a Qualified Mental Health Associate, and a trainer of suicide prevention. As the Youth Development Program Manager at NARA, Shane manages both suicide prevention grants that help fund the Youth Program and is heavily involved in youth activities. He and team members are working to implement Tribal Best Practices/Evidence Based Practice to strengthen resilience against risk factors Native youth face every day. Currently NARA’s Youth Program has a Project Venture group, Two-Spirit group, Youth Activity group, and Youth Night that provide Urban Indian Youth with the protective factors they need to overcome adversity. By incorporating culture and tradition into their activities, the Youth Program hopes to create a sustainable future of wellbriety for Native youth.
Ann Kirkwood, MA
Suicide Intervention Coordinator, Oregon Health Authority
Ann Kirkwood, MA, is the Suicide Intervention Coordinator working with behavioral health programs for the Oregon Health Authority. She has 16 years working in children’s mental health and suicide prevention in Oregon and previously, in Idaho where she directed the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act grant for suicide prevention. She has published on suicide prevention and children’s mental health topics, including articles and book chapters on veterans, primary care, warning signs and risk factors for children’s mental health disorders, and won a Peabody Award for videos to reduce stigma about mental illness. She is a former newspaper editor and publisher.
Morgan Leets, M.Ed
YouthLine Coordinator, Lines for Life
Morgan is the YouthLine Coordinator for YouthLine, a service of Lines for Life. She has worked in Crisis Intervention for 9 years. Morgan is a certified Trainer of ASIST, safeTALK, Mental Health First Aid for Adults and for Youth. She supervises over 50 teens who volunteer their time on the YouthLine. Morgan holds a BA in Psychology and a M.Ed in Special Education from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Mark Lewinsohn, Ph.D
Vice President of Clinical Services, LifeWorks NW
Mark Lewinsohn earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and has over 20 years of experience working with children and families. Prior to coming to LifeWorks NW, he worked in a variety of non-profit community mental health agencies and children’s hospitals, developing an expertise in psychological evaluations for children and families. Mark has been with LifeWorks NW since 1993, starting as a family therapist in our Adolescent Day Treatment Program and moving progressively through management positions before becoming Clinical Director in 2008.
Celena McCray (Navajo), B.S. Ed
THRIVE Project Director, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
Celena’s, clans are the Bitter Water People born for the Mountain Cove People. She is the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board’s THRIVE Project Coordinator. Celena provides suicide prevention training and technical assistance to the 43 federally-recognized tribes in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. She is a suicide prevention and intervention trainer of two widely used and effective trainings, ASIST and QPR. Celena assist in working with youth to develop Native specific prevention media campaigns. She also works closely with WeRNative staff who manages www.wernative.org, the national multimedia health resource for Native teens and young adults.
Sonja G. Miller, MA, NCC, LPC
Program Manager for School Based Mental Health and EASA Services in Multnomah County, Oregon
Sonja G. Miller is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Oregon and has worked with children, youth and families for 35 years, in a variety of capacities, including as a Youth Minister, Girl Scout Camp Director, Alcohol and Drug Counselor for youth and adults, Behavioral Rehabilitation Services for Pregnant and Parenting Teens, and Crisis Line Counselor. She completed her master’s degree at Lewis and Clark college in Portland, Oregon and her undergraduate degree at the University of Oregon. She currently works for Multnomah County Mental Health and Addiction Services as a Program Manager for School Based Mental Health Services and EASA an early psychosis program for youth and young adults. She is married with 3 adult children.
Monireh Moghadam, LCSW
Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Portland VA Health Care System
Monireh earned her MSW from the University of California, Los Angeles. She spent the next twelve years working in various mental health settings, including jail mental health services, the California state hospital system, and emergency department psychiatry before relocating to Portland in 2009. Monireh continued her work in emergency psychiatric services before joining the Portland VA in early 2012, where she has since worked as one of the Suicide Prevention Coordinators. Monireh enjoys the amazing food culture of Portland as well as long distance running in the beautiful Northwest; the latter almost equally.
Galli Murray, LCSW
Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Clackamas County
Galli Murray is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in crisis trauma and suicide prevention. In her current position as Clackamas County Behavioral Health’s Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator she works within the county health and various other systems in order to reach Clackamas County’s goal of zero suicide. Prior to serving in this newly created position, Murray led a team of clinicians and case managers working towards addressing the critical mental health needs of Clackamas County residents. She earned her Master of Social Work degree at Portland State University and has worked for Clackamas County for the better part of 15 years since completing her degree. Murray is honored at the opportunity to continue to serve Clackamas County and specifically to lead the County in realizing the end of youth suicide.
Stewart Newman, MD
Mind Matters Clinic in Hillsboro
BA from Hiram College. MD from the Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health, 2001. Adult Psychiatry residency, University of Michigan Medical Center, 2005. Child & Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship, University of Michigan Medical Center, 2006. Forensic Psychiatry fellowship, Oregon Health Sciences University, 2007. Dr. Newman is a full time outpatient psychiatric physician, seeing both children and adults as a part of the Mind Matters clinic in Hillsboro. Dr Newman is currently the president of the Oregon Council of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and has been a member of their executive council for eight years. He is an adjunct Clinical Professor for the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU, and teaches medical students, residents and fellows. For his work on the suicide prevention checklists project, he and Mr Gabay shared the 2013 Access Award, presented annually by the Oregon Psychiatric Physicians Association to persons who significantly improve access to mental health care in Oregon.
Donna Noonan, MPH, CHES
Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Oregon Public Health Division
Donna Noonan has been working for the Oregon Public Health Division as Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator for over 12 years. She has a masters degree in public health and is a certified health education specialist. Donna has spent over 30 years working to prevent high risk behaviors in youth in public health settings at the state and community levels. She is a certified suicide prevention gatekeeper trainer in QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer). She is excited about all the attention being given to preventing youth suicide and the strong interest in Zero Suicide efforts throughout Oregon.
Dr. Laura Pennavaria, MD
Chief Medical Officer for La Pine Community Health Center
Laura Pennavaria, MD is board certified in Family Medicine. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and completed a Family Medicine residency in Orange County, California. She serves as the Chief Medical Officer for La Pine Community Health Center’s five sites. She founded and is chairperson of the Primary Care Suicide Prevention Workgroup in Central Oregon, equipping primary care practices to respond effectively to patients at risk of dying by suicide. She lives on a small ranch in Bend with her husband and their two energetic sons, where they greatly enjoy year-round outdoor activities.
Maria Gdontakis Pos, MA, MFT, M.Ed
State Coordinator, Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs
Maria Pos is the Statewide Coordinator and Instructor for Mental Health First Aid. She holds a Masters in Counseling and a Masters in Education. She has worked in Mental Health for many years including working as a therapist for over 4 years, and has experience in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. Maria assists with coordinating Mental Health First Aid and Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk trainings throughout Oregon and provides support to instructors. Maria is passionate about promoting mental health awareness and supporting those struggling with Mental health issues.
Kathy Keim-Robinson, MA
Student Services Director, Parkrose School District
Kathy earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Montana and a Master’s in School Psychology from the University of Oregon. She was a School Psychologist for 23 years, through the Lane Education Service District in Eugene and the Parkrose School District in Portland. She is currently the Student Services Director for Parkrose School District.
Melissa Trombetta, MSW
YouthLine Outreach Coordinator, Lines for Life
Melissa’s experience as a Youth Worker ranges from residential facilities to working with teens aging out of the foster care system, to providing therapeutic interventions for college students. Melissa works for YouthLine, a service of Lines for Life. As the Outreach Coordinator she focuses on state-wide classroom education around Mental Health issues and supervises teens on the YouthLine. Melissa holds a BA in Child and Family Studies and a Masters in Social Work from Portland State University.