Building The Bridges of Hope: Upstream Approaches to Suicide Prevention

Melissa Romeo, MS, serves as the 988 Program Coordinator at the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) within the New Jersey Department of Human Services. In this role, Melissa works directly with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline centers throughout the state and oversees federal grants supporting this initiative. Melissa additionally provides support to the DMHAS Medical Director in facilitating suicide prevention initiatives including the implementation of the Zero Suicide framework. For the third year, Melissa Romeo is serving as the Chair of the Suicide Prevention Conference.

John Torous, MD, MBI, is director of the digital psychiatry division in the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), a Harvard Medical School-affiliated teaching hospital, where he also serves as a staff psychiatrist and associate professor. He has a background in electrical engineering and computer sciences and received an undergraduate degree in the field from UC Berkeley before attending medical school at UC San Diego. He completed his psychiatry residency, fellowship in clinical informatics, and master's degree in biomedical informatics at Harvard. Dr. Torous is active in investigating the potential of mobile mental health and AI technologies for psychiatry, and his team supports mindapps.org as the largest database of mental health apps, mindApps.ai for benchmarking AI chatbots, mindLAMP technology platform for scalable digital phenotyping and interventions, and the Digital Navigator program to promote digital equity and access. Dr. Torous has published over 300 peer reviewed articles and 5 book chapters on the topic. He directs the Digital Psychiatry Clinic at BIDMC which seeks to improve access to and quality of mental health care through augmenting treatment with digital innovations. Dr. Torous serves as editor-in-chief for the journal JMIR Mental Health, web editor for JAMA Psychiatry, and a member of various American Psychiatric Association committees.

Dr. John Ogrodniczuk is a Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the UBC Psychotherapy Program, one of North America’s largest medically based psychotherapy training programs. His research program focuses on a variety of psychotherapies and patient populations, with a particular focus on personality disorders and men’s mental health. Dr. Ogrodniczuk has held several grants to support his research, which has led to over 300 scientific publications. In addition to his research, Dr. Ogrodniczuk is involved with teaching medical students and psychiatry residents, serves as a mental health consultant for various organizations, and maintains a psychotherapy practice. He is Past-President of the North American chapter of the International Society for Psychotherapy Research (SPR), and a recipient of the Distinguished Research Career Award from SPR. Dr. Ogrodniczuk is the Founder of HeadsUpGuys, the world’s leading men’s mental health resource.

Thomas Foley, PhD is a teacher, school counselor, and counselor educator who now serves as the Director of Education and Professional Development at HiTOPS. HiTOPS is a New Jersey based non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ young people and their families. Thomas is an out and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, and his doctoral research investigated the relationship between legislation and LGBTQ+ teens' experiences in high school. Thomas is proud to serve his community by facilitating training and professional development in schools, businesses, and other organizations that are looking to ensure their environments are safe and affirming spaces for people of all identities.

Ms. Jennie Blakney received her dual Master's in Human Sexuality Education and Marriage and Family Counseling from NYU and spent her early career working with LGBTQIA youth in NYC. With a strong background in mental health, youth development, empowerment, mentoring, and behavior change, Ms. Blakney spent several years researching, replicating, and evaluating evidence-based programs (EPBs) with the CDC. More recently, she has focused her efforts on the delivery of EBPs, training and education professionals, and expanding access to youth mental health and suicide prevention, school safety and social and emotional learning programs. Currently, Ms. Blakney works for the NJ Department of Health as the Program Manager of the Child and Adolescent Health Program, where she oversees youth-focused programs and a robust Statewide youth engagement initiative. Ms. Blakney is President of the National Network for State Adolescent Health Coordinators and the Principal Investigator for the Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention Grant and the STOP School Violence Program Grant.

Michelle Scott, MSW, Ph.D. (MSW and Ph.D.; School of Social Welfare, University of California at Berkeley) is a Professor in the School of Social Work and Director of the SRF Suicide Prevention Research and Training Project at Monmouth University. Her research career has focused on suicide prevention of youth and young adults publishing/presenting evaluations of the Columbia Suicide Screen, the original measure used in TeenScreen’s school-based screening for suicide risk, school-based screening for suicide risk to the development and evaluation of educational approaches and programs for suicide prevention including New Jersey’ Youth Advisory Council for Suicide Prevention. She served on the executive board for the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide from 2008 – 2016, and has led evaluation of efforts to reduce the effects of any suicide contagion at Manasquan high school, including evaluation of crisis team training program and the transportability of evidence-based treatment for depression and suicide prevention for local mental providers. She is co-author of the second book of the Lifelines Trilogy, entitled Lifelines Intervention: Helping Students at Risk for Suicide, which takes a whole school approach to suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. At the state level, she served as the Chair for New Jersey's Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Council (2011-2018, member 2010-2022) and is a member of the New Jersey Child Fatality Near Fatality Review-Suicide subcommittee (2016-present). She has led evaluation efforts for New York (2011-2014), Arkansas (2015-2017), and most recently, New Jersey’s (2020-2025) Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Initiative Programs and the principal investigator/program evaluator for two Campus GLS grants (2012-2015/2018-2021) for Monmouth University, West Long Branch, New Jersey. She has been a participant in several national working groups on Upstream Suicide Prevention and Developmentally-appropriate Warning Signs for Suicide Prevention. Dr. Scott currently serves at the co-chair for the NASW Standards of care for Suicide Taskforce, which created the first standards for suicide prevention for all social workers in the United States (pending NASW board approval in June 2026).

Dr. Diane Calello is the Executive and Medical Director of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES) in Newark, NJ, and a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. She obtained MD from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and completed all post-graduate training at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She is board-certified in pediatrics, pediatric emergency medicine, medical toxicology and addiction medicine.

Dr. Calello has presented and published on a variety of topics in clinical toxicology, and has a background in epidemiology, health measurements and database research. Her areas of specific interest include pediatric consequences of the opioid epidemic, public health implications of medicinal and retail cannabis programs, health implications and management of environmental lead poisoning, and public health response and investigation of toxic illness. This includes toxicosurveillance of vaping-associated pulmonary injury, pediatric edible cannabis exposures, and fentanyl and other illicit opioid exposures in young children.

Dr. Jill Rabinowitz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers University. Dr. Rabinowitz’s research focuses on understanding and preventing substance use and suicide risk through the integration of real-time behavioral data, genetic information, and community-based treatment research. Her work is grounded in the belief that effectively addressing addiction and its associated mental health consequences requires a multidisciplinary, person-centered approach—one that values the lived experiences of individuals in substance use disorder recovery, examines how biological and environmental factors influence risk and resilience, and collaborates closely with community care providers. To advance this work, Dr. Rabinowitz has developed strong partnerships with addiction treatment centers to implement innovative research that involves the collection of biometric, clinical, and genetic data. By integrating these multi-modal data streams, her goal is to better understand why individuals differ in their responses to treatment and to identify the moment-to-moment processes that contribute to substance use and suicide risk. Ultimately, this research aims to inform more personalized interventions that improve treatment outcomes, strengthen suicide prevention efforts, and enhance the well-being of individuals and families affected by addiction.

Sarika Agarwal shares her personal journey—from overcoming anxiety, depression, bullying, self-harm, and a suicide attempt to building a life grounded in self-compassion and authenticity. Sarika's goal of sharing her story is to inspire others to seek help and find hope. Through years of therapy, self-discovery, and healing, she learned the importance of self-compassion, authenticity, and building self-worth from within. Today, after earning her doctorate in clinical psychology, she combines her professional expertise with her lived experience to encourage others to embrace their own stories, prioritize their mental health, and believe that recovery and lasting happiness are possible.

Dr. Michael Anestis is a clinical psychologist, the executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, and a professor in the Rutgers School of Public Health. His research focuses on firearm suicide prevention, with a particular emphasis on military and veteran communities. He is the author of over 260 peer reviewed scientific articles as well as a book, entitled Guns and Suicide: An American Epidemic.

Matt Chrystal is a licensed professional and nationally certified counselor and approved clinical supervisor in New Jersey, Connecticut and South Carolina with a focus on suicide prevention and crisis management for adults and teens. Matt has over ten years of experience working for behavioral health agencies and promoting independent living skills for adults with severe mental illness.

In addition to his private practice work at Keep Growing Counseling and Wellness LLC, Matt also serves as an intensive in-community counselor working with children and families. During the evenings, Matt is an instructor for courses on mental health counseling at the Nathan Weiss Graduate School at Kean University.

The common thread that Matt strives to weave amongst all mental health agencies is that of suicide prevention. Matt is a certified SafeTALK, ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), and Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR) trainer, and has been a volunteer for AFSP facilitating suicide prevention workshops throughout the state.

In 2025, Matt was awarded a New Jersey Social Innovation Award for Excellence in Population and Public Health for his efforts to promote suicide prevention education within behavioral health agencies. In the Fall of 2026, Matt will be returning to Kean University as a Doctoral Research Assistant and will pursue his PhD in the Doctor of Counseling and Supervision Program.

Stephanie Marcello, PhD, provides executive leadership for the Behavioral Research and Training Institute (BRTI) at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC), overseeing statewide and national initiatives that strengthen the behavioral health workforce through training, consultation, implementation, and systems transformation. She also serves as Chief Psychologist for UBHC, Director of the APA-accredited Psychology Internship Program, and Chair of UBHC's Trauma-Informed Care Committee.

Dr. Marcello is certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy through the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). She is recognized for her expertise in workforce development, implementation of evidence-based practices, integrated behavioral health, trauma-informed systems, motivational interviewing, and implementation science. She has led numerous federally funded initiatives, developed large-scale training and implementation programs, authored peer-reviewed publications, and presented nationally on behavioral health workforce development and integrated care. Her work focuses on translating evidence into practice to improve behavioral health systems, expand workforce capacity, and enhance access to high-quality care. Dr. Marcello earned her PhD from Temple University and completed her predoctoral internship at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital and postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Schizophrenia Research at Rutgers UBHC.

John Verney is a licensed social worker and currently serves as a Regional Coordinator in the Office of Community Services at the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addictions Services (DMHAS). John has been employed in varied public and private mental health agencies since 1997. These include forensic, hospital emergency department and community mental health program settings. John has been with the Division since 2000, having previously served in roles related to Acute Care, the Program of Assertive Community Treatment and at the Ann Klein Forensic Center’s Special Treatment Unit. Mr. Verney earned a Bachelor of Art’s degree and a Master of Social Work degree from Rutgers University. 

Karen Wapner, MA, is the NJ DMHAS 988 State Lead, working with the Lifeline Centers and Mobile Crisis Outreach Response Team (MCORT) programs on the 988 Program continuum; and as a Regional Coordinator in the Office of Community Services. Previously, Karen was a Program Supervisor in the Mental Health Fee-For-Service unit since its inception (2017); and since 2000, in the Office of Community Services, liaising with counties throughout the state.

Before DMHAS, Karen worked at the NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities providing Case Management services, and as a Clinical Interventionist for individuals with co-occurring mental health and developmental disabilities. Prior to state service, Karen worked as a clinical Music Therapist in the University of Pennsylvania Health System’s Partial Care Programs and on Inpatient Psychiatric Units in Mt. Sinai Hospital. Karen has Master’s Degrees from Hahnemann (now Drexel) University and West Chester University, in Music Therapy/Counseling Psychology and Music Education & Vocal Performance.

Michael Higginbotham, MSW, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker with more than 30 years of experience in New Jersey behavioral health, including more than 20 years in state service. He currently serves as Program Manager for the Intoxicated Driving Program and Acute Care Services within the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, where his work includes oversight of crisis and acute care programs, including Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services, Early Intervention Support Services, Involuntary Outpatient Commitment, and Programs of Assertive Community Treatment.

His background includes psychiatric emergency screening, mobile crisis coordination, suicide prevention, youth behavioral health, court-system collaboration, and cross-system work with hospitals, counties, providers, and law enforcement partners.

LaToya Zeller is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) who started her mental health career in 2013 in the case management field serving clients with dual psychiatric and substance use disorders in Essex County. During her years in Essex County (2013-2019), LaToya served in multiple roles within the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris Counties, including state hospital liaison and program coordinator for Integrated Case Management Services (ICMS) and Community Support Services (CSS). From 2019-2021, LaToya was the Program Director for the Project Live, Inc.- Community Support Services (CSS) program providing supportive housing for adults experiencing chronic homelessness and addressing rehabilitative needs through education and access. She has also done intensive in-home therapy for youth in Essex County. At present, LaToya is the Program Director for Children’s Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (CMRSS) with Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen. The CMRSS program provides crisis intervention and stabilization for youth 0-21 in Hunterdon, Somerset, and Warren counties through the NJ Children’s System of Care.

Tiffany N. Wilson ESQ., is a Senior Counsel to the NJ Attorney General and the Inaugural Director of the Office of Alternative and Community Responses. Tiffany joined the Office of the Attorney General after over 25 years as an Assistant Prosecutor in Union County, New Jersey handling a wide variety of criminal litigation. For over a decade, Tiffany supervised all of Union County’s diversionary programs with a particular emphasis on mental health diversion and programs related to the intersection of mental and behavioral health and the criminal justice system. She also supervised the office’s units required under New Jersey’s Criminal Justice Reform Act.

As the Director of the Office of Alternative and Community Responses within the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General, Tiffany now leads the Department of Law and Public Safety’s work at the intersection of Public Safety and Public Health. Tiffany received her B.A. from Villanova University and her J.D. from William and Mary Law School.

Dr. Mary Ditri, Senior Vice President, Population Health, New Jersey Hospital Association, leads the strategic direction and implementation of population health initiatives in improving health outcomes, aimed at building the bridge between prevention, treatment, and community interventions. Ditri served as the Administrative Director of the Garden State Patient Safety Center, NJ's only Patient Safety Organization, and is the principal investigator on initiatives focused on mental health and substance use disorder, reducing maternal mortality, and improving patient safety. While a part of various state and national boards and committees, including serving as a Trustee to the NJ Sharing Network, she notably served on the National Quality Forum’s Leadership Consortium and its National Quality Partners™ Serious Mental Illness Action Team, has spoken nationally on her NIH-published research on physician burnout, and is a contributing author in JCR’s “Optimizing Patient Flow: Advanced Strategies for Managing Variability to Enhance Access, Quality, and Safety”. Ditri, a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and N.J. Healthcare Leadership Academy, holds a Doctorate in Healthcare Administration.

Amy Hassa, MSW received her Masters from Rutgers University New Brunswick and has been a passionate advocate for youth throughout her lifetime.  She has worked in the area of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention for 20 years. Amy is the training coordinator for the Disaster and Terrorism Branch and is also a national trainer for Mental Health First Aid, Youth Mental Health First Aid, and QPR. Amy is a DRCC and is also a member of the TLC Response team.  

Dr. Susan Brill Goldberg, MD, is a nationally recognized specialist in adolescent medicine and serves as Chief of Adolescent Medicine at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She is also a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Goldberg has more than three decades of clinical, educational, and leadership experience in adolescent health. Throughout her career, she has developed innovative clinical programs, trained generations of pediatric residents, and served in numerous leadership roles within the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Her expertise includes adolescent gynecology, eating disorders, reproductive health, substance use screening, and the care of sexual and gender minority youth. Dr. Goldberg has authored peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and educational curricula, and has been consistently recognized among New Jersey and New York’s Top Doctors, receiving multiple awards for excellence in teaching, mentorship, and service to the field of adolescent medicine.

Stephen M. Scheinthal, DO, DFACN, DFAPA is a board-certified psychiatrist with subspecialty certification in geriatric psychiatry. Dr. Scheinthal is the Chief Medical Officer for the New Jersey Department of Health, Division of Behavioral Health Services at Greystone Park Hospital, the second oldest hospital in the State of NJ. He is also a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Geriatrics at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine. He is a Distinguished Fellow of both the American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists and the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Scheinthal is a graduate of UMDNJ-SOM (now Rowan- Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine) where he completed his internship, psychiatry residency, and geriatric psychiatry fellowship. He is a recipient of a Geriatric Academic Career Award from the US Department of Health and Human Services/Health Resources and Services Administration and has served as the principal investigator on two Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Admnistratio Grants. 

Dr. Scheinthal served as the Chair of the Psychiatry Department at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine from 2014 to 2025. In 2023 he revised the 1987 NJ Screening Law. He has work with and in NJ screening centers since 1992. Dr Scheinthal has served as Medical Director for numerous long-term care and assisted living facilities in New Jersey, including New Jersey’s original specialty care facility. He is the Past President of the New Jersey Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, the American Association of Chairs of Departments of Psychiatry as well as the American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists. He Co-Chaired New Jersey’s Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force. Currently, Dr. Scheinthal is a member of the AMA’s Substance Abuse and Pain Care Task Force. He has numerous publications and is has presented nationally and internationally. He is frequently named to Top Doc lists and was recently recognized as one of the Top 100 Policy Makers in NJ by Insider NJ.

Dr. Raynard E. Washington serves as Commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Health, where he leads more than 6,000 employees working to protect the public’s health and safety and to make good health possible for all New Jerseyans.

Prior to this role, Dr. Washington served as Public Health Director for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, where, he led a multidisciplinary team of nearly 1,000 public health professionals working daily to protect and promote health and advance health equity among 1.2 million county residents. During his tenure, the county increased access to affordable health care and public health services through innovative investments and partnerships, including opening new health care facilities, launching a mobile health and dental initiative, and establishing school-based virtual physical and behavioral health care services.

Before moving to Charlotte, Dr. Washington served as Chief Epidemiologist and Deputy Health Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia, where he provided leadership in public health practice, epidemiology, and the control of diseases. During his tenure, he advanced the expansion and integration of public health data systems, led the development of the city’s community violence prevention strategy, and completed the first-ever regional community health assessment in partnership with nine health care systems across a five-county region.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Washington served as a health research scientist for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, where he developed and produced research analyses on health care markets, policy, organizational behavior, and health care delivery. His work helped inform federal health policy and evaluate early impacts of the Affordable Care Act. He also taught as an adjunct professor at Temple University and American University.

He earned his BS in biological sciences, MPH in epidemiology, and PhD in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh.