Media: VCU Suicide Prevention Community Forum, September 2010

VCU Suicide Community Forum: Kathy Harkey
Kathy Harkey, B.S. is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She became a mental health and suicide prevention advocate four years ago when her son Joshua developed a mental illness. Currently Kathy is involved any many advocacy efforts.  She is a board member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Virginia (NAMI), a past President of NAMI Central Virginia, a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trainer, a NAMI Family-to-Family trainer, a member of the Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy Mental Health Council, and the Vice President of the Hanover County Community Support Services Board.Bottom

VCU Suicide Community Forum: Mark Leslie
Marc E. Leslie, M.S. is the Coordinator of the Virginia Violent Death Reporting System (VVDRS) at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in the Virginia Department of Health.  The VVDRS is one of the 18 states participating in the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS).  Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the NVDRS is a surveillance system designed to inform injury and violence prevention efforts at the local, state, and national levels.  Prior to joining the State of Virginia in 2006, Mr. Leslie worked as a researcher for Homeward, a non-profit that addressed the problem of homelessness in Greater Richmond, Virginia.

VCU Suicide Community Forum: Christina Benton
Christina Benton, MPH is the Suicide Prevention Manager for the Division of Prevention and Health Promotion at the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). As program manager, she oversees and coordinates suicide prevention training, education, and awareness activities across the Commonwealth. Mrs. Benton is a QPR, safeTALK, and ASIST trainer. Prior to being the Suicide Prevention Manager, she worked as a Data and Evaluation Coordinator for VDH, managing the evaluation of state and federal grants.


Event co-sponsors: National Alliance on Mental Illness of Virginia (NAMI), Virginia Department of Health, VCU Student Counseling Services, VCU Counselor Education Chi Sigma Iota, and VCU Masters of Social Work Student Association

VCU Suicide Community Forum: Marjoria Norton
Marjoria “Jo” Norton, B.S.  is the Manager for The Care Coordination program at Senior Connections, the Capital Area Agency on Aging.  In this role she supervises 9 Care Coordinators in Richmond and the 7 surrounding counties.  She is also on the training team for law enforcement for Elder Abuse.  She serves on various boards and committees such as the Richmond Multi-disciplinary Team, VOAD, and  Impact Richmond .

VCU Suicide Community Forum: Jennifer Garrison
Jennifer Garrison-Dean, LCSW is the Suicide Prevention Coordinator at the Richmond VA Medical Center. Her ongoing interest in suicide prevention evolved during her decade of clinical work in adult mental health at District One Probation Office in Richmond, Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, and Powhatan Correctional Center.  She also performed as a mental health staff trainer while in these capacities.  At District One Probation, Jennifer was responsible for developing and managing a pilot program aimed at reducing recidivism in which probationers were provided on-site mental health services and Probation Officers were offered mental health training and consultation supports.

VCU Suicide Community Forum: Q & A - Effect of Economy

VCU Suicide Community Forum: Valerie Bishop
Valerie Bishop, LCSW is an Assistant Professor and is the Chair of the Division of Social Work for the Dept. of Psychiatry in the VCU School of Medicine/VCU Health System.  Most of her direct work is as a child, adolescent, and family therapist at the Virginia Treatment Center for Children on the Acute Services Program, which primarily involves crisis stabilization.

VCU Suicide Community Forum: Jane Wiggins
Jane Wiggins, Ph.D. is a school psychologist who has developed a specialty in crisis intervention and suicide prevention.  Her expertise is in working with institutions that serve youth, particularly K-12 and higher education settings.  She is currently the director of the Campus Suicide Prevention Center of Virginia; based at James Madison University.  In that role, Jane provides resources, training, consultation in suicide prevention to colleges and universities across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

VCU Suicide Community Forum: Kristina Alley
Kristina Alley, MSW is a senior clinician with Richmond Behavioral Health Authority in the Adult Mental Health Division.  In her current position, she supervises an intensive case management team.   The goal of her team is to provide individuals with a comprehensive level of services and supports so that they are able to manage their lives effectively in the community. The level and intensity of services vary depending upon the person’s clinical need, and services are provided on a continuum that allows maximum flexibility for the individual to move to a higher or lower level of care. Kristina has worked for RBHA for seven years.