Keynote Speakers

​Bart Andrews, PhD
Bart Andrews, PhD, is Vice President of Telehealth & Home/Community Services at Behavioral Health Response.  Dr. Andrews is the Chair of Missouri’s Suicide Prevention Network, Co-Chair of the Suicide Lifeline’s Standards, Training and Practices committee, a member of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s (SPRC) Steering Committee, an SPRC  ZeroSuicide Academy Faculty member and member of the American Association of Suicidology’s Executive Board of Directors. Dr. Andrews is a suicide attempt survivor and a proponent of embracing of lived expertise in our suicide prevention efforts. 

William Beverly, PhD, LMFT
Dr. Beverly is a licensed psychologist and faculty member in the counseling department at South Mountain Community College, were he also serves as Coordinator of the Behavioral Health Sciences program. Dr. Beverly has held leadership positions in a wide array of behavioral health settings overseeing numerous behavioral health programs across the state of Arizona, including residential treatment for teens, therapeutic group homes for adults with serious mental illness, forensic psychological services, sex offender treatment, and general outpatient counseling and psychiatric services. He was previously the Lead Psychologist for the Maricopa County jail system, where he co-developed a trauma-informed model for training officers working with inmates with mental illness and cognitive impairment. Dr. Beverly has conducted numerous workshops and published on the topic of suicide prevention and intervention with vulnerable populations. Dr. Beverly is also an adjunct professor at Northern Arizona University, where he has taught in the educational psychology department for the last 10 years.

James M. Greenblatt MD
A pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, James M. Greenblatt MD is dually board-certified in Adult and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry with nearly three decades of experience treating clients with mood disorders, eating disorders, and other mental illnesses. His knowledge in the areas of biology, genetics, psychology, and nutrition as they interact in the treatment of mental illness has made him a highly sought-after speaker, and he has lectured internationally on the scientific evidence for nutritional interventions in psychiatry. Dr. Greenblatt has also published multiple books and articles for professional and consumer audiences on how to employ a comprehensive approach toward mental health treatment. His book series Psychiatry Redefined, which includes the newly-released Integrative Medicine for Depression from FriesenPress, draws upon his many years of experience treating complex and diverse patient populations. Dr. Greenblatt offers online courses for medical and health professionals as well as specialized fellowship programs in integrative psychiatry.  Dr. Greenblatt currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Services at Walden Behavioral Care in Waltham, MA, and is an assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine. He is the Medical Director of Comprehensive Psychiatric Resources, Inc. and the founder of Psychiatry Redefined.

Chaplain Chris Melvin
Originally from Michigan, CH Melvin entered the Air Force in early 1990, enlisting as an aircraft armament specialist, stationed in Southern California.  Early in his military career, sensing a call to the ministry, he finished his tour at Luke AFB, bringing him to the Valley of the Sun where he completed his Bachelors in Bible & Pastoral Studies at International Baptist College.
A short year and a half back in the Air Force Reserves, again as an aircraft armament specialist, CH Melvin received an offer to pastor a small local church in the East Valley of Phoenix. During this time he also received his Master of Arts in Biblical Studies at the same college. After nearly 4 and a half years of civilian ministry, CH Melvin shifted to further education and joined the Arizona Army National Guard.  Serving in a Signal company and an Aviation regiment, CH Melvin achieved the rank of SGT before being selected in 2006 as a Chaplain. Finishing his Masters of Divinity with Phoenix Seminary, CH Melvin was mobilized for deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) from 2007 to mid-2008. After a successful mission in Afghanistan, he has served in various capacities and assignments with the Arizona National Guard, currently as the Brigade Chaplain for the 198th Regional Support Group.  Most recently, CH Melvin returned in August 2018 from a 1 year mobilization to the Horn of Africa, working in humanitarian, military, and foreign military environments.  Finally, he was selected to participate in the fourth cohort of the yearlong VA/DoD Mental Health Integration for Chaplain Services (MHICS) program, finishing July 2019.
His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Action Badge.  CH Melvin currently resides in Chandler, AZ with his wife Beth and 3 children – Michael, Hannah and Noah.

Carla Stumpf Patton, EdD, LMHC, NCC, QS, FT, CCTP
Dr. Carla Stumpf Patton is the Senior Director of Suicide Postvention Programs at TAPS. She
has a B.S. in Psychology, a M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Guidance
Counseling, and a Doctorate of Education in Counseling Psychology. She is a Licensed Mental
Health Counselor, Certified Fellow Thanatologist, National Certified Counselor, Certified
Clinical Trauma Professional, and Florida Qualified Supervisor. As a subject matter expert
concerning issues of surrounding grief, trauma, suicide, and the military, she is trained in
Psychological Autopsy Investigations, Crisis Response Plans, and as an ASIST trainer. Dr.
Stumpf Patton is the surviving spouse of Marine Corps Drill Instructor Sgt. Richard Stumpf who
died by suicide in 1994, days before the their only child was born.

Kelli Donley Williams
Kelli Donley Williams is the state suicide prevention specialist at AHCCCS. She
returned to this position in 2018 after previously serving in a similar role for ADHS and
AHCCCS from 2013-2017. She has a BS in journalism from NAU and a graduate
degree in public health from UofA. She is a published novelist, and is passionate about
public health and public service. She serves on the boards for United Food Bank and
the Arizona Public Health Association.

Breakout Speakers: 

Heather Brown
As Mercy Care’s Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) Prevention Administrator, Heather oversees community-based programs and coalitions addressing substance use and suicide. She provides ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) and safeTALK (suicide alertness for everyone) trainings for subcontracted providers, employees, and community stakeholders. Heather also develops and conducts training and technical assistance on substance use and suicide prevention as well as community development using the Strategic Prevention Framework Model. She identifies priority substance use and/or suicide issues, develops community-specific and data-driven strategic plans, and monitors program development, implementation, budget expenditures, performance, and contract compliance.
 
Heather has nearly 20 years of experience in substance use and suicide prevention effective practices, coalition and community development, grant management, program development, strategic planning, evaluation, and training. She has independently consulted with a variety of local and national organizations and has helped develop several programs that were accepted for listing on the Suicide Prevention Resource Center/American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Suicide Prevention Best Practices Program Registry. Prior to her role with Mercy Care, Heather was a prevention coordinator for two prior RBHAs in Arizona. She was the first suicide prevention coordinator for the state of Arizona through Arizona Department of Health Services and the Department of Behavioral Health Services and was instrumental in Arizona receiving national recognition for its work as one of the first 14 states to receive Garrett Lee Smith federal funding for youth suicide prevention in 2005. From 2005-2015 she served on the Board of Directors for, and was the Vice President of, the Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition, Inc.
 
Heather earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles and was a social worker in California before moving to Arizona. She is a member of the American Association of Suicidology, Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition, and Arizonans for Prevention.
 
In 2015, she received the “Heart of a Champion” Award from the Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition (AZSPC) for her dedication and work in suicide prevention.​

Breanna P. Banks, Ph.D.
Dr. Breanna (Bre) Banks  is Director of Clinical Education, Centerstone Research Institute.  She holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Tennessee, a Master of Arts degree in Mental Health Counseling from Argosy University – Nashville, and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Tennessee – Martin.  In 2016, Bre was appointed to the position of Assistant Professor and Training Director in the Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education & Supervision program at Adler University in Chicago, Illinois. While at Adler University, Bre specialized in teaching courses pertaining to quantitative and qualitative research methodology, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, crisis and trauma, clinical supervision, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She also served as the primary research mentor for students completing doctoral research internships, and clinical supervisor for doctoral students providing completing clinical counseling and supervision internships. Bre also served as the Project Director for the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation of the Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education & Supervision program. 

Blake Chaffee, Ph.D.
As a Navy psychologist serving at the Naval Health Research Center and Naval Regional Medical Center San Diego, Dr. Chaffee conducted research on mental health information systems and suicide in the Navy and Marine Corps.  After leaving the Navy, Dr. Chaffee joined Scripps Clinic where he specialized in behavioral medicine. He left clinical practice to implement the first TRICARE managed care program in southern California for Aetna. He has held leadership positions with Aetna Government Health Plans and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas and served as Vice President of Government Programs at MEDCO Behavioral Health.  

Dr. Chaffee is Vice President, Integrated Healthcare Services for TriWest Healthcare Alliance.  He led the development and implementation of TriWest’s behavioral health, integrated care and deployment support programs in 21 states of the TRICARE West Region.  TriWest’s behavioral health innovations have received five URAC Best Practice awards. Since 2013, Dr. Chaffee has headed TriWest’s behavioral health implementation of the VA Patient-Centered Community Care (VAPC3), Choice Program and Mission Act in VA Regions 3, 5 and 6 and nationwide.  Dr. Chaffee received his bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University, his Doctorate from the American University in Washington, D.C. and completed his internship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Deborah Dominick, LCSW 
Debbie Dominick is the Chief of the Social Work Service at the Phoenix VA Health Care System in Phoenix, AZ.  Prior to returning to The Phoenix VA in March of 2017, Debbie was the Chief of the ASPIRE Center within the VA San Diego Health Care System - A Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program focused on caring for Veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD/TBI and other complex medical, behavioral and psychosocial challenges.  When Debbie was previously at the Phoenix VA, she served as the OEF/OIF Program Manager - now called Transition and Care Management (TCM) Program.  Debbie began her career at the VA in the Puget Sound VA Health Care System in Seattle, WA where she began as an MSW intern and then transitioned to a full-time position post-graduation in the Medical /Surgical arena.  In addition to her experience at the VA, Debbie has worked as adjunct faculty with University of Southern California (USC) School of Social Work and taught Master’s Level Students in the specialty of military social work.  Debbie is a proud graduate of the University of Washington School of Social Work in Tacoma, WA.  In 2012, Debbie was selected as the state of California NASW, Social Worker of the Year.  In 2015, Debbie received the VA Under Secretary for Health’s Award for Excellence in Social Work Leadership.  Debbie is delighted to be back at the Phoenix VA and working with a dynamic team of caring individuals.

Maria Gastelum
Maria was born in Mexicali Baja California, Mexico and immigrated to the U.S. at the age of five with her parents and two younger brothers. She’s the oldest of four children born to her parents, Aristeo and Maria J Gastelum. She received her U.S. Citizenship in May 1996 in Los Angeles, California. She has been a resident of Arizona since May 2005 and has a daughter Tatiana Shellman.

Maria is an Army veteran, who served as a Combat Medic with 125th FSB Ft. Riley, Kansas. She was deployed during Operation Desert Springs in Support of Operation Enduring Freedom to Kuwait with Ft. Benning, Georgia in 2002. She also was deployed as a brigade medic to Baghdad with Bull Dog Brigade from Ft. Riley, Kansas receiving several medals and awards including the Global War on Terrorism Service and Expeditionary Medals. She served from 2000 to 2005 with an honorable discharge in May 2005

She received her B.S. in Biblical Studies from Wayland Baptist University, Phoenix Campus in 2007. She has additional courses from Rio Salado Community College in Early Childhood Education. She is currently a graduate student at Primus University of Theology and is working on her Master’s in Biblical Studies and a Doctorate in Ministry. She has also studied at Long Beach City College, Long Beach, California, Vanguard University, Southern California and majored in Christian Leadership. She studied Fashion Design at UCLA Extension and Phoenix Community College.

Maria is currently a Certified Community Chaplain through Church for the Nations, Flagstaff. Her Place of worship Victory Outreach East Phoenix where she helps in the greeting and children’s ministries. She was part of the Franciscan Renewal Center’s (The Casa) Veteran Ministry and pilot program for Spiritual Direction for veterans 2017-2018.

Maria is the Chaplain for Military Women Across the Nation Salt River Unit No. 155 since 2016 and She was a co facilitator at Mirna’s Place in Buckeye Arizona from 2017 to 2019. It’s a ministry to help women heal from their memories.

She has published two books, ‘from Baja to Baghdad and back to the Barracks’ and ‘Chasing Dragonflies’. She’s also in the process of publishing her third book, ‘It Takes a Brigade Twenty-two a Day Minus One, I’m That One’.
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Maria is the founder and President of Maria Gastelum Foundation, a non-profit organization that funds faith-based churches that help veterans heal from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). In addition, she is also the founder and overseer of Maria Gastelum Association which provides services for sweet fifteen birthday parties for young ladies. 

Herman Grewal, LCSW 
Herman Grewal, LCSW has worked in a variety of settings in Veteran Mental Health care including an inpatient mental health setting, a Suicide Prevention Case Manager, and currently as a  Readjustment Counselor at the West Valley Vet Center, a VA counseling center for combat/MST Veterans and their families.  He has focused largely on DBT therapy and is in the process of obtaining Credentialing as a CPT Provider. Prior to Social Work, he  spent five years in the Army including deploying to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Edward L. James, III 
Edward L. James, III has an earned Master of Social Work, at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, an earned Master of Public Management, at Carnegie-Mellon University and a post graduate study in Social Work Administration at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Edward is certified and licensed as a master social worker, in Arizona and Pennsylvania and studied marriage and family therapy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois and Georgetown, Washington DC.

Edward has participated in marriage and family therapy private practice and has been employed for the past 40 years in a variety of profit and not for profit organizations. He has a specialization in working in the field of crisis intervention and intimate partner violence. His current specialization is program development in the field of addiction.

Edward has a clinical and research interest and is a community activist in the area of men’s health, particularly in the black community. He has participated in national conversations incorporating both a grassroots and a broader national public policy perspective. He has been guest speakers at seminars and conferences in an effort to bring men’s health issues to the forefront.

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​Nikki Kontz
Nikki is the Clinical Director for Teen Lifeline, a local non-profit dedicated to providing a safe, confidential and crucial crisis service where teens help teens make healthy decisions.  She has been working in the field for the past 16 years including work on a crisis mobile team, postvention intervention and assessment for hospitalization. Nikki possesses a Master’s degree in social work from Arizona State University and specializes in mental health issues, crisis intervention, suicide prevention/postvention and education, and adolescence.  She currently is a state Licensed Master Social Worker, a certified crisis worker through the American Association of Suicidology, field instructor for the Social Work Department at ASU, and serves as the President on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition.

Lolan Lauvao, MS
Lolan Lauvao was born and raised on the island of Tutuila in American Samoa. He moved to Hawaii where he received his Bachelor’s Degree and worked in the Non-Profit industry helping youth, families and individuals in various programs. He was a Community Services Specialist for the Honolulu Young Parents program, which assisted teen parents with employment, parenting skills, and other services. Lolan Lauvao was a certified trainer for the LifeSkills training Program for Middle School & High School youth and worked as a Case Manager for the Creating Employment Opportunities Program, which assisted individuals transitioning out of the prison system. He was the Program Supervisor the Economic Development and Family Services Center and the Mikiala Program, which conducted services such as Pre-School & Parenting workshops for Homeless families, Workforce Development Training, Cultural Competency, Prevention, and much more. In 2018, Lolan Lauvao and his family moved to Arizona and is currently working as the Prevention Services Program Manager with the Phoenix Indian Center, helping to fulfill the mission of reducing and preventing Underage Drinking, Marijuana usage, Prescription Drug abuse, & Suicide for the Urban Indian Communities. He is a certified trainer for SafeTalk, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Trainer (ASIST), Rx360, Historical Trauma, Parenting in 2 Worlds, Living in 2 Worlds, and Sing me a Story curriculum. Lolan is the facilitator of the Urban Indian Coalition of Arizona and collaborates with many community organizations and members.

Yesmina Luchsinger
​Yesmina Luchsinger is the Project AWARE Coordinator at the Arizona Department of Education.  Her career path has been a unique crossover of the behavioral health and education worlds. Her areas of focus include: prevention and intervention supports in school settings, multi-tiered systems of support, mindfulness and yoga in schools, and developing school leadership teams. Her graduate school research explored the long-term impacts of bullying in LGBTQ youth and the positive impact of mindfulness meditation in young adults. 

Yesmina passionately believes in the power of school based prevention to improve student mental health, reduce the risk of suicide, improve teacher retention, reduce office discipline referrals and increase the overall wellness of a community. She is a certified Hatha Yoga Instructor and believes the tools of mindfulness and yoga can help to create a trauma aware/recovery focused campus. Yesmina dreams big and would like to open a non-profit yoga foundation that provides yoga as an alternative to suspension in Title I Schools. She earned her MS degree in Psychology from ASU, but will also be a Nebraska Cornhusker at heart!

Paula J. McCall
Dr. Paula J. McCall is a nationally certified school psychologist as well as a licensed psychologist in Arizona. She has over 15 years of experience in the school systems, both as a special education teacher and as a school psychologist, and she earned her PhD in Educational Psychology. Dr. McCall currently has a private practice that serves children and adolescents, and her experiences include working with suicidal ideation and self-harm, as well as with various developmental disabilities and mental health disorders. Dr. McCall currently teaches for the University of Arizona School Psychology program, and she has a history of presenting locally and nationally on topics including
suicide prevention, non-suicidal self-injury, grief, and crisis response with children and adolescents. Dr. McCall also is passionate about community outreach to provide information about mental health to parents and other adults, and she recently facilitated
the development of the Prepared Parenting series in Chandler, in which community members gain free information about child and adolescent mental health.

​Evette Richardson, BS, LMSW
Evette Richardson is a Clinician at Devereux’s Residential Treatment Center. Evette received her Bachelors of Science in Family Studies and Human Development from the University of Arizona and her Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Washington. Evette Has been working with Queer and Transgender/Gender Expansive youth for nearly 10 years in various capacities and specializes in working with at-risk youth struggling with significant mental and behavioral health needs.

Russell Toomey, PhD
Dr. Russell Toomey is an Associate Professor of Family Studies and Human Development at the University of Arizona and Chair of the Youth Development and Resilience Initiative of the Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth, and Families. Dr. Toomey received his Ph.D. in Family Studies and Human Development from the University of Arizona, completed an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship at Arizona State University in the Prevention Research Center and the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics. Dr. Toomey’s research identifies malleable contextual (e.g., family, school) and individual-level (e.g., identity processes) factors that contribute to and mitigate health disparities experienced by marginalized adolescents in the United States. His research has examined these relationships with explicit attention to the minority-specific stressors of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination that contribute to the disparate rates of negative outcomes experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) adolescents and Latinx youth, and the culturally-relevant protective factors (e.g., ethnic-racial identity, Gay-Straight Alliances) that buffer these associations. Dr. Toomey’s current research integrates these two distinct – but conceptually similar - lines of research (i.e., LGBTQ youth and Latinx youth), and focuses on how the amalgamation of individuals’ multiple marginalized identities contributes to their contextual experiences, health, and well-being. Dr. Toomey is Associate Editor for the Journal of Adolescent Research, and is a recipient of the Society for Research on Adolescence Young Investigator Award, a National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Award, and the University of Arizona Shirley O’Brien Diversity Award.

Kathryn VanBoskirk, MSW
Kathryn VanBoskirk  is a licensed clinical social worker with over 30 years experience as a leader, therapist, advocate, and educator including extensive work in Community Mental Health centers, suicide prevention, EAP programs, schools, and hospice. She currently provides strategic planning, consultation and training throughout the USA and Internationally on health, wellness, growth and leadership through VanBoskirk and Associates Consulting, LLC. She is the former Vice President of International Service Relationships for LivingWorks Education, a premier training company for suicide intervention and prevention. Kathryn was instrumental in setting up a national network of suicide prevention trainers in Australia, Norway, Scotland and Ireland. Kathryn was chosen to consult with the California State Mental Health Services Authority to collaborate on the design of their statewide request for funding proposals for suicide prevention initiatives and review submissions. She has taught at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Social Work in a program targeted on ethnic sensitive social work practice and specialized in providing training in culturally competent practice. Her extensive clinical work in urban and rural settings with disenfranchised and minority clients has formed the foundation for her depth of knowledge and skill in providing training. She is a minister and Rosen Method Bodyworker with a healing practice in her hometown of Sedona, Arizona. She is a member of the Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition on their Training Committee. She has provided training on reservations for tribal Nations in Arizona. She was a member of the Standards, Training, and Practices subcommittee of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline from its inception through 2018, and a longtime member of the American Association of Suicidology.

M.T. Webb is a LMSW,  LCDC
M.T. Webb is a LMSW, a LCDC, and is the director/founder of NConcepts, LLC (a continuing education consulting group). He served as an Adjunct Professor at both the University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work, and Tarleton State University School of Social Work. In 1997, Mr. Webb earned his Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Biblical Studies at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Rev. Webb is a
licensed and ordained minister with the Southern Baptist Convention. In August of 2001, he earned his masters’ degree in Social Work at the University of Southern Mississippi. Mr. Webb served as the Clinical Coordinator in the Allied Health/Substance Abuse Department at Weatherford College and has designed and implemented several treatment modalities to address the complex psycho-emotional issues of addiction and the subsequent dynamics of social and personal relationships. Mr. Webb served honorably in combat Medical divisions of both the U.S. Navy (Active Duty) and the Louisiana Army National Guard. In 1990, Sergeant Webb was deployed to the first Gulf War. In 2005, M.T. relocated to Texas due to hurricane Katrina. M.T. Webb is the author of the 2018 non-fiction, inspirational, self-help book entitled: “The Needy Greedy Dilemma: The Clashing of Cravings within a Conflicted Mind” which is available online through Amazon.com and Kindle Direct Publishing.

Mike Wold
​Mike Wold is the volunteer Arizona Regional Coordinator for the Institute for Healing of Memories, an organization that conducts Healing of Memories Retreats throughout the world, providing healing to people who are suffering psychologically or spiritually from the painful memories of the past. In Arizona Mike brings this retreat free of charge to service personnel and veterans of all eras. He is a US Navy veteran who is involved in organizations serving veterans and their families including being an active member of the Franciscan Renewal Center Veterans Ministry in Scottsdale, Arizona and a member of the Faith Based Initiative Advisory Committee for the Arizona Coalition for Military Famiies. He is a passionate believer in the role that faith communities can play in the lives of veterans and their families.
Mike was a successful organizational development consultant, coach, teacher and facilitator for than 15 years plus 25 years of experience in management and project management in the private and public sector.  He is a former Financial Director and Assistant Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Economic Security where he was responsible for all the administrative functions of the agency. He is also a former Engineering and Program Management Director at Lockheed Martin Corporation where he led large engineering organizations and business units with over $100 million in annual revenue. In addition, he was a graduate level adjunct instructor at both the University of Minnesota and the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. He holds an MS Degree in Mathematics from the University of Iowa and an MBA from the Carlson School of the University of Minnesota. 

Thank you to our conference sponsors: