SPEAKERS

Sommer Albert is an expert community builder, preventionist, youth educator, and trauma-informed facilitator. She has extensive experience offering suicide prevention education, training, and initiative support in clinical, K–12, and higher education settings. She has a passion for community-based approaches to promoting mental health and recovery that integrate creative approaches (e.g., collaging, digital storytelling, poetry). She is deeply committed to ensuring that all communities have the resources and support they need to be self-sustaining.

Albert holds an MSW in community-centered integrative practice from the University of Washington and a BA in health and psychology from the University of Michigan. This multidisciplinary background has allowed her to develop a unique lens for approaching projects that is deeply rooted in community care. Sommer currently works as part of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s State and Territorial Initiatives team.

Charity is a JDHS graduate who chose to stay in Juneau to support her community. She spent eight years working with individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities before moving into the mental health field with the Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition. Inspired by her own mental health journey and the loss of a close friend to suicide, she is passionate about prevention and advocacy. As the Youth Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator, she focuses on educating and empowering local youth. Outside of work, Charity enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, paddling in Auke Bay, exploring beaches, crafting, and dreaming of owning a farm someday.

Dr. Andrews is the owner of A Step Forward Counseling and Consulting, LLC where she provides culturally responsive, resilience focused mental health services. She is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Alaska Pacific University. She also serves as the chairperson of the Alaska Statewide Suicide Prevention Council and is a member of the Alaska Mental Health Board. Additionally, she is on the Alaska Psychological Association’s Board of Directors.

She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and went on to earn both her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Counseling Psychology from Alaska Pacific University. Her research focuses on resilience and protective factors associated with suicide prevention, with a strong emphasis on integrating culturally informed frameworks and supporting diverse communities.

Dr. Andrews has served as a proud Alaska Army National Guard soldier since 2006 in various prevention roles.

Dr. Franchesca N. Angelucci Martínez is a clinical psychologist and speech-language therapist from Arecibo, Puerto Rico. She earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Carlos Albizu University and completed an APA-accredited internship at Texas A&M University. Her clinical interests include substance use, intersectionality, and health psychology. She currently provides psychotherapy in private practice and serves as a clinical facilitator with the Puerto Rico Suicide Prevention Commission.

Madison is an undergraduate psychology major with a minor in neuroscience at the University of Alaska Anchorage. She works as a research assistant studying psychosocial factors and their effects on mental health. She also serves as the president of the university's psychology club and as a mentor for the Youth Alliance for a Healthier Alaska (YAHA). After undergrad, she plans to pursue graduate study in clinical psychology.

Dr. María Coss is a Program Manager at the Puerto Rico Department of Health’s (PRDoH) Commission on Suicide Prevention. Through the design and implementation of data-driven public health strategies, education, and suicide mortality surveillance, Dr. Coss serves as a public speaker and behavioral scientist promoting awareness and helping connect the dots between human suffering and upstream factors such as poverty, inequality, and discrimination, as the groundwork for violence prevention.

Dr. Cueva is an Associate Professor at the Center for Alaska Native Health Research at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She specializes in Community Based Participatory Action Research. Dr. Cueva has a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and dual doctoral degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Public Health Nutrition and in Social and Behavioral Sciences. She was honored to be a part of the Alaska Native Collaborative Hub for Research for Resilience and to share some of what she learned from working with young people.

Amanda Estes is the Vice President of Social Marketing for Future Elder, a full-service brand marketing and strategy agency based in Anchorage, Alaska. During her more than 20 years with the agency, she has effectively changed knowledge, attitudes, intentions and behaviors in the areas of tobacco countermarketing, obesity prevention, opioids misuse education and addiction prevention, marijuana education, domestic violence and sexual assault, suicide prevention and air quality. Her passion lies in using communications to bring about positive change in our communities. Originally from Palmer, Amanda is a lifelong Alaskan. She graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and public communications with a minor in psychology.

Adrienne Gregory, LMFT, is originally from Oklahoma. She has worked multiple contracts within YKHC Behavioral Health and the medical Outpatient Clinic since 2007. As a Systems-Oriented Behavioral Health therapist, it made sense that changing or intertwining systems that were strongly interactive would bring about the most desired outcomes. Following this line of thinking, she had the pleasure of building a collaborative care model of Behavioral Health and medical care in 2010, that continues to be an integral part of outpatient medical services. In 2025, she launched Suicide Care Pathway as a tool to track, monitor, connect, and support individuals post-discharge from the emergency room, the acute stabilization inpatient unit, or a higher level of care hospitalization/treatment due to a suicidal crisis. She is happy to be here to share their story with you!

Grace Grinnell is the Program Associate for Suicide Education and Support at NAMI Connecticut. She is a certified Recovery Support Specialist, an instructor and board member of the Connecticut Alliance to Benefit Law enforcement for the Crisis Intervention Team training. Grace has provided mental health presentations to middle and high school students since 2016 and sits on the State of Connecticut Children Behavioral Health Plan Implementation Advisory Board.

Dr. Adam Grove is a Naturopathic doctor based in Anchorage, specializing in children and adults with neurological challenges. He works with people of all ages experiencing symptoms of ADD/ADHD, Autism, Brain injury and the like. He approaches each patient individually using treatments which are the least invasive, have the lowest chance of adverse effects and are the most effective. These include nutrition, herbs, supplements, neuro-feedback, cognitive training, and craniosacral therapy. Dr. Grove received his doctorate from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington in 2002. He also holds a Masters of Arts degree in Soviet Area Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. He is a member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, member of the Alaska Brain Injury Council, founder of the Alaska Brain Injury Consortium and Alaska Brain Bus project and a Certified Brain Injury Specialist.

Shawna Hite-Jones is an experienced public health professional specializing in mental health promotion, suicide prevention, and health communication. A master certified health education specialist, Hite-Jones brings expertise in training and technical assistance, project management, and product development. She is passionate about promoting population-level prevention initiatives that seek to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors.

As an EDC Solutions project manager, she supports schools in developing multi-tiered, system-level approaches to preventing youth suicide. As a subject matter expert on community suicide prevention, she supports coalitions in implementing comprehensive and sustainable approaches to suicide prevention.

Previously, Hite-Jones served as the program director for the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation. Hite-Jones holds an MPH from the Ohio State University and a BA in Psychology and Communications from Lake Forest College.

Sylvia began working in Behavioral Health Outpatient Services in 2020, supporting patients receiving mental health care and follow-up services. In 2021, she moved to the Crisis Intervention Department as an Emergency Services Case Manager, where she worked with individuals experiencing acute mental health crises and coordinated care during emergency situations. While serving in this role, she gained valuable experience and established strong working relationships with community resources that she continues to collaborate with today, including residential treatment facilities.

In 2024, she helped initiate the development of the Crisis Suicide Care Pathway, focusing on improving suicide screening, crisis response, and follow-up care. By 2025, the program was formally established as the Suicide Care Pathway.

Sylvia currently manages the Suicide Care Pathway as Project Manager, working to strengthen suicide care systems, improve patient safety, and support coordinated follow-up care for patients at risk.

Sakshi Khurana is a first-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at Alaska Pacific University, and a Research Fellow at the Harvard Lab for Youth Mental Health. Her current research work involves developing and testing artificial intelligence tools in the IES-funded meta-analysis of school-based mental health interventions. Sakshi holds a master’s in clinical psychology from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in India and a master’s in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, specializing in prevention science and practice. Her research interests are using artificial intelligence for mental health care, specifically for suicide prevention among children and youth.

Sarah Kim is a senior at West Anchorage High School and a third-year member of the Youth Alliance for a Healthier Alaska (YAHA). Through YAHA, she helped plan and coordinate the 2024 and 2025 988 Create Youth Arts for Mental Health Campaigns and most recently served on the judges’ art selection panel.

Sarah is the founder and president of West High’s Self-Care Club, which promotes mental health awareness through presentations and practical strategies that encourage self-care and help-seeking. She also founded Music for Hearts, a youth-led organization that brings teens together to perform at senior care centers and community facilities across Anchorage.

Sarah plans to study nursing at the University of Pennsylvania and is interested in public health research, particularly circumpolar mental health outcomes. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and the violin.

Jose Lazaro is a PhD student in research psychology with 6 years of experience in the field of The Psychology of Men and Masculinity. Native from Caguas, Puerto Rico, he is an advocate for men's mental health as well as suicide and violence prevention.

Valerie Lepoutre is the Director of Peer Initiatives, Education & Training at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Connecticut. With a certification in Peer Recovery Support, Val incorporates her lived expertise into her professional role by supporting, advocating for, and educating others about mental health, trauma, and suicide. Serving as co-chair for the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board’s Lived Experience committee, she also partners with leaders across the Nation to develop life-changing programs and enhancement training that reshapes our system of care. Val’s philosophy centers on building inclusive communities, fostering hope, and promoting healing; she is dedicated to empowering individuals to lead more purposeful lives.

Steve MacHattie, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist in Manchester, Connecticut, and the founder of Charter Oak Family Center. He serves as Co-Chair of the Lived Experience Committee for the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board and regularly presents on suicide prevention, recovery, and integrating lived experience with clinical practice.

Melissa McCormick is the President of Find Your Fire, a community-based, non-profit organization located in Juneau, Alaska.

Find Your Fire’s mission is to empower young adults to find their passion and what success means to them, while building a strong mental health foundation. The organization assists them with life skills, job opportunities, and mental health resources as they transition into adulthood.

Diane McEachern has lived in the Yukon Kuskokwim region for almost 30 years. First, as an itinerant school social worker, and for the last 23 years as a Professor of Rural Human Services (RHS) and HUM AAS degree programs.

Amy Molloy is a behavioral health expert with 15 years of leadership experience in suicide prevention, mental health promotion, veterans’ services, and education.

At the Education Development Center (EDC), Amy supports health and behavioral health care organizations to implement Zero Suicide, and provides technical assistance to K–12 schools to incorporate systemwide suicide prevention policies and practices in alignment with a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) approach. Prior to EDC, Amy was the director of a state-wide technical assistance center for mental health education in New York State schools.

José Yamil Montañez Agosto, MSW, is a doctoral candidate in Social Work at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. His research focuses on fathers’ mental health during the perinatal period, masculinities, and the implications for social policy and health services. He is also a Subject Matter Expert collaborating with the Puerto Rico Department of Health on suicide prevention initiatives and works with community organizations to develop programs that support men, fathers, and families.

Dustin Morris is a lifelong Alaskan and dedicated mental health advocate with extensive experience in suicide prevention and community engagement. During his tenure with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, he led statewide awareness campaigns, built diverse community partnerships, and helped expand prevention education across Alaska. His collaborative work with media, civic leaders, and grassroots volunteers elevated critical conversations around mental health and earned regional recognition, including a Northwest Regional Emmy Award.

Dustin is known for his authentic leadership, ability to mobilize communities, and unwavering commitment to ensuring individuals and families have access to hope, support, and lifesaving resources.

Francisco Javier Parga is a clinical psychologist who works with the Suicide Prevention Commission of the Puerto Rico Department of Health. He has worked in diverse areas of Public Health for the past 39 years.

Elisa Rosier, MD, FAAP is a general pediatrician who has practiced in frontier Alaska since 2009. She is the founder of Pacific Pediatrics, LLC, and a former American Academy of Pediatrics Suicide Prevention Ambassador focused on improving access to healthcare resources for children in rural and underserved communities.

Dr. Rosier has served as faculty for several national pediatric mental health education initiatives, including the inaugural ECHO: Caring for Patients with Mental Health Concerns through the AAP Pediatric Mental Health Education Center, as well as the AAP Rural Youth Mental Health ECHO and the University of Alaska Anchorage Peer Support Innovation ECHO.

An engaging speaker, she brings rural health expertise and practical strategies to strengthen protective factors, support families, and improve outcomes for children and adolescents in underserved communities.

Tara Schmidt has been a member of the Promoting Community Conversations about Research for Effective Solutions since 2018. Her role on the team is to involve communities in the research in meaningful ways.

Laurel Fate Sullivan works at First Alaskans Institute in the Alaska Native Policy Center. In 2024, she graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a minor in Russian Language. Laurel is Koyukon Athabascan and grew up in Anchorage while spending her summers at her family's fish camp on the Yukon River. Her family on her mom's side is from Rampart. Laurel is passionate about accessible and culturally responsive mental health services being standard across the state of Alaska.

Jessica Saniguq Ullrich, MSW, PhD, is an Inupiaq scholar, a Tribal citizen of Nome Eskimo Community, a descendant of the Native Village of Wales, and proud mother of 2 teenage daughters. Jessica’s passion and scholarship has focused on an Indigenous Connectedness Framework for child and collective relational wellbeing. As an Assistant Professor at Washington State University in the Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health (IREACH) program, she focuses on the promotion of connectedness, intergenerational wellbeing, relational healing, and social/environmental justice. Storytelling and story-listening is central to her work.

Building from resources within rural and Alaska Native communities, schools and families, Dr. Wexler’s participatory research identifies strengths, practical systems, and protective factors to prevent suicide and reduce harms from substance use. Instead of orienting primarily toward professional solutions as many suicide prevention and behavioral health programs do, her work strengthens social care and relationships. This orientation creates hopeful opportunities for all people to contribute to social and mental health, reduce suicide risk, and prevent crises through everyday actions.

Mary is an Account Executive at Future Elder who has worked to develop materials for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in Alaska. She works closely with partners from around the state to ensure materials are in alignment with local needs and draws from her background in public health promotion and education.

Guiying (Angel) Zhong is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and serves as a post-baccalaureate Research Associate at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. A youth mental health advocate and scholar-activist, Angel’s lived experience profoundly shapes her research focus. Angel centers her work on uplifting the self-determination of communities and youth, believing that research should amplify voices rather than prescribe solutions. Currently, Angel is engaged with the Promoting Community Conversations About Research for Effective Solutions (PC CARES) team, contributing to curriculum development aimed at expanding their community health education model to new topics and audiences.