A micro and macro-level social work practitioner with +10 years of experience in a variety of roles in the behavioral health system and in the suicide prevention arena. As the Clinical Liaison for the Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas, Bailey provides coordination and clinical support for consumers entering mental health services from inpatient psychiatric care, correctional facilities, homeless shelters and other community providers. She also identifies as a person with lived experience and serves as Lead Trainer for the Kansas Certified Peer Specialist Training program. Bailey also serves on the Sedgwick County Suicide Prevention Coalition, and is a member of the Kansas Governor's Behavioral Health Services Planning Council Prevention Subcommittee and the State Suicide Prevention Plan Workgroup. Bailey is also the Vice-President and Lead Trainer for StopSuicideICT.

Currently serves as an Outpatient Therapist with Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center. Alexis has a background in clinical and school psychology, as well as leadership in K-12 buildings with a combined 15 years experience in mental health and education. Alexis is passionate about suicide prevention and trauma-informed care. She lives in Southeast Kansas with her husband and three children.

A Kansas native, born in Wichita and now living in Kiowa. She is a daughter, an aunt, a friend, a partner, and a furbaby mom to her two dogs (Hank and Cash) and cat (Sniffles). Currently serving as Co-Director for the Kansas Consumer Advisory Council for Adult Mental Health (CAC), Melissa brings her lived experience as a trauma and suicide attempt survivor, and someone who has had interactions with the mental health system through diagnosis/treatment from a young age. Outside of her work with CAC and other stakeholder groups in Kansas, Melissa is also active in social media based mental health support communities where she has the opportunity to connect with people across the world. In her free time Melissa enjoys building her collection of memes, listening to music, and taking on new do-it-yourself home improvement projects.

Serves as the Executive Director for the Health Innovations Network of Kansas (HINK). HINK is a consortium of 15 hospitals in northeast Kansas focused on networking and education for its members. Sarah also supports the HINK Suicide Prevention Improvement Network which is focused on behavioral health access and suicide prevention in rural/agricultural communities within the HINK region.

The Kansas Health Foundation Distinguished Professor in Community Health for K-State Research and Extension and is a state Extension Specialist in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences at Kansas State University. Dr. Johannes has degrees from Kansas State University in Psychology, masters in Adult and Community Counseling, a graduate certificate in Gerontology, and a doctorate in Lifespan Human Development. She has extensive experience in working with communities to address health disparities, unequal access to health care, and the social drivers and conditions that impact people’s health and well-being. Elaine is also a member of the Kansas Maternal and Child Health Council executive committee for the Bureau of Family Health in KDHE,and is a Governor’s appointee to the Kansas Dept.of Corrections Kansas Advisory Group for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Serves as the Assistant Vice President for Wellness and Chief Psychologist at Wichita State University. Motivated by her personal experience with mental health challenges and suicide loss, she spent many years as a DBT trained, university mental health provider before stepping into broader Student Affairs administration. As a community/clinical psychologist, Dr. Provines established Prevention Services on campus and helped found the Suspenders4Hope Mental Wellness and Suicide Prevention program, which is a strategic, research-based approach to help organizations of all sizes end mental health stigma, improve community support, and ultimately reduce deaths of despair. She also serves on the Sedgwick County Suicide Prevention Coalition and was appointed by the County Commissioner to serve on the Mental Health Advisory Board. She is a 3 time WSU alum who enjoys spending time with her spouse and 3 daughters and is passionate about leading the University’s efforts to bring hope to people in despair in our local community, Kansas and beyond.

The Executive Director of the Finney County Community Health Coalition (LiveWell Finney County). Dyer has over twenty-five years of professional experience engaging community partners through grassroots local coalition efforts. Early in Dyer’s professional career, she worked as a Prevention Specialist for the Southwest Kansas Regional Prevention Center. Prior to her work with Finney County Community Health Coalition, Inc. she worked for over twenty years in juvenile justice. Dyer is a non-profit executive with a comprehensive background in policy development, program management, fiscal accountability, coalition development and community mobilization. Dyer is a graduate of University of Oklahoma and Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Currently, she is also on the Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition, serves as the Chair for the Governor’s Behavioral Health Services Planning Council Prevention Sub-Committee, is on Kansas Governor’s Council on Fitness, the Kansas Community Health Worker Coalition, and a member of the City of Garden City Community Health Advisory Board. She is a Trainer in Adult Mental Health First Aid, Teen Mental Health First Aid, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).