Indiana's Community Challenge vision is to inspire, empower, and invest in Indiana's community efforts to prevent suicide. Our mission is to provide knowledge, choice, and support for community coalitions, agencies, and organizations to identify service members, veterans, family members, and caregivers. Foster connection for all communities and provide education, services, and resources.
Through its Governor's and Mayor's Challenges, SAMHSA and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs support the implementation of a public health approach for the prevention of suicide among service members, veterans, and their families. These efforts help states and communities develop the capacity to implement interagency military/civilian action plans grounded in evidence-based suicide prevention practices.
SAMHSA has partnered with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to bring the Governor’s and Mayor’s Challenges to Prevent Suicide Among SMVF to states, territories, and communities across the nation. Fifty-two states and territories are currently participating in the challenge and are working to develop and implement state-wide suicide prevention best practices for SMVF using a public health approach. SAMHSA’s SMVF TA Center is providing technical assistance for these initiatives.
Challenge Objectives
- Engage with Indiana communities and state stakeholders to create, enhance, and align suicide prevention efforts.
- Understand the issues surrounding suicide prevention for SMVF-CG.
- Increase knowledge about implementing best policies and best practices by facilitating community-to-community sharing.
- Introduce evidence-based practices of prevention, intervention, and postvention to increase awareness and action at the community level. Define and measure success, including assignments, deadlines, and measurable outcomes to be reported.
Opportunities to JoIN In!
JoIN In!
Interested in "Joining IN" ?

Community Dashboard
SMS Partners
SMS PartnersCurrent SMS Partners
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon
Community Challenge Book
Fiscal Year 2024-2025
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Non-Profit Grant Recipients
Contact the Community Challenge Team
General Inquiry: JoinIN@dva.in.gov
Health and Wellness Director: Bryan Schmidt: bchmidt@dva.in.gov
Program Administrator: Lesley Evans: leevans@dva.in.gov
Prevention Coordinator: Brad Harper: bharper@dva.in.gov
Intervention Coordinator: Obadiah Smith: obadiah.smith@fssa.in.gov
Postvention Coordinator: Carlye Gibson: cagibson@health.in.gov
Indiana's Loss and Crisis Interventions Teams
County Name Here
Charlotte Barton Coombs
https://www.iaprss.org/loss-team/
CIT Coordinators:
Sgt. Alyson Eichel
Sgt. Andrew Whipker
CIT Coordinator:
Captain Nathan Springer
Indiana University Health
Captain Joel Allred
Hartford City Police
Molly Hunt
Purdue Extension
Robin Kichler
ocof@onecommunityonefamily.org
https://www.onecommunityonefamily.org/services/lif2t
CIT Coordinator:
Kathy Barnum
NAMI Southeast Indiana
CIT Coordinators:
Taylor Yoder
Ofc. Sam Anglin
Auburn Police Dept.
CIT Coordinators:
Mary Bedel
NAMI Delaware County
Dr. Lynn Witty
Kendra Nichols
https://www.iaprss.org/loss-team/
CIT Coordinator:
Alison Neal
Dubois County Community Corrections
Barbara Welty
https://www.iaprss.org/loss-team/
CIT Coordinators:
Teresa L. Cataldo
Judge, Elkhart Superior Court 3
John Antonucci
Elkhart County Probation
CIT Coordinators:
Sgt. Angela Ellison
Fishers Police Dept.
Kari Key
Hamilton County Public Safety Communications
kari.key@hamiltoncounty.in.gov
Ben Lugar
Noblesville Police Dept.
CIT Coordinators:
Captain Robert Harris
Hancock County Sheriff's Dept.
Officer Phillip Allen
Fortville Police Department
Patrolman Andrew Pfaff
Greenfield Police Department
Patrolman Danny Williams
Greenfield Police Department
CIT Coordinators:
Captain Amanda Goings
Hendricks Co. Sheriff's Dept.
April Bordeau
Care to Change
Jan Williams
j.williams@ysbofhuntingtonco.org
https://www.iaprss.org/loss-team/
CIT Coordinator:
Andrew J. Ellet, Administrative Captain
Huntington Police Department
CIT Coordinators:
Megan Cherry
ahshelter@anchorhouseshelter.org
Sgt. Crystal Schapson
Seymour Police Dept.
CIT Coordinator:
Captain Nathan Springer
Indiana University Health
Captain Joel Allred
Hartford City Police
Molly Hunt
Purdue Extension
Kathleen Ratcliff
https://upstreamprevention.org/community-coalitions/suicidepreventioncoalition/atlas/discover/
CIT Coordinators:
Deputy Shannon Chambers
CIT Deputy
Johnson County Sheriff's Office
(317)346-4686
Deputy Jim Engmark
CIT Deputy
Johnson County Sheriff's Office
CIT Coordinator:
Mikaela Bixler
Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory CARES Program
CIT Coordinators:
Aaron Coen
Geminus
Dustin Wartman, MS
St. John Police Department
CIT Coordinators:
Micki Webb
Detective Sgt. James Lear
LaPorte County Sheriff's Office
Julie Hayden
https://mhai.net/mha-indianapolis/#lossteam
CIT Coordinators:
Sgt. Lance Dardeen
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Dept.
Major David Roberts
Marion Co. Sheriff's Dept.
Donna Yancey
NAMI Greater Indianapolis
CIT for Youth - Next Class TBD
Detective Brad Hinshaw, IMPD
CIT Coordinators:
Taylor Yoder
Parkview Noble Hospital
Nicole Johnson-Smith
Northeastern Center
Deputy Todd Weber
Noble County Sheriff's Office
Grant Moser
Ligonier Police Department
CIT Coordinator:
Kathy Barnum
NAMI Southeast Indiana
CIT Coordinators:
Alison Everhart
Rod Mohr
Shelby Co. Sheriff Department
Jeremy O'Connor
Shelbyville Police Department
CIT Coordinator:
Cindy Schulz, LCSW, LCAC
Director, Adult Case Management, St. Joseph County Oaklawn Psychiatric Center, Inc.
(574)533-1234 ext. 4535
For the Notre Dame Campus CIT Program:
Alex Novelli, Midnight Patrol Lt.
Notre Dame Police Dept.
CIT Coordinator:
Tara Huisman
Steuben County Probation
https://www.iaprss.org/loss-team/
CIT Coordinators:
Erin Heim
Evansville State Hospital
Mario Reid
Evansville Police Dept.
CIT Coordinators:
Jennifer Todd
Detective Sgt. Dan Parmer
ISU Police Dept.