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The Indiana Community Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans and their Families

  • DVA
  • DVA
  • Current: Indiana Community Challenge

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.

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Opportunities to JoIN In!

JoIN In! 
JoIN

Interested in "Joining IN" ?

SMS Partners

SMS Partners 
PicPartner

Current SMS Partners

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon 
BookCover

Community Challenge Book

Fiscal Year 2024-2025

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Partner

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

CIT Coordinator:

Captain Nathan Springer

Indiana University Health

nspringer1@iuhealth.org

Captain Joel Allred

Hartford City Police

hcpdjallred@hartfordcity.net

Molly Hunt

Purdue Extension

hunt55@purdue.edu

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinators:

Taylor Yoder

Taylor.Yoder@parkview.com

Ofc. Sam Anglin

Auburn Police Dept.

SAAnglin@ci.auburn.in.us

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinators:

Mary Bedel

NAMI Delaware County

mbedel@comcast.net

Dr. Lynn Witty

lwitty2@comcast.net

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

Barbara Welty

elkhartlossteam@gmail.com

https://www.iaprss.org/loss-team/

CIT Coordinators:

​Teresa L. Cataldo

Judge, Elkhart Superior Court 3

tcataldo@elkhartcounty.com

John Antonucci

Elkhart County Probation

jantonucci@elkhartcounty.com

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinators:

Sgt. Angela Ellison

Fishers Police Dept.

ellisona@fishers.in.us

Kari Key

Hamilton County Public Safety Communications

kari.key@hamiltoncounty.in.gov

Ben Lugar

Noblesville Police Dept.

blugar@noblesville.in.us

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinators:

Captain Robert Harris

Hancock County Sheriff's Dept.

rharris@hancockcoingov.org

Officer Phillip Allen

Fortville Police Department

pallen@fortvilleindiana.org

Patrolman Andrew Pfaff

Greenfield Police Department

apfaff@greenfieldin.org

Patrolman Danny Williams

Greenfield Police Department

dwilliams@greenfieldin.org

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinators:

Captain Amanda Goings

Hendricks Co. Sheriff's Dept.

agoings@co.hendricks.in.us

April Bordeau

Care to Change

april.bordeau@caretochange.org

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

Jan Williams

j.williams@ysbofhuntingtonco.org

https://www.iaprss.org/loss-team/

CIT Coordinator:

Andrew J. Ellet, Administrative Captain

Huntington Police Department

andy.ellet@huntington.in.us

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinators:

Megan Cherry

ahshelter@anchorhouseshelter.org

Sgt. Crystal Schapson

Seymour Police Dept.

clschapson@seymour.in.gov

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinator:

Captain Nathan Springer

Indiana University Health

nspringer1@iuhealth.org

Captain Joel Allred

Hartford City Police

hcpdjallred@hartfordcity.net

Molly Hunt

Purdue Extension

hunt55@purdue.edu

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinator:

Jason Cranney

Jefferson Co. Court Services

jason.cranney@jeffersoncounty.in.gov

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

Kathleen Ratcliff

atlas@upstreamprevention.org

https://upstreamprevention.org/community-coalitions/suicidepreventioncoalition/atlas/discover/

CIT Coordinators:

Deputy Shannon Chambers

CIT Deputy

Johnson County Sheriff's Office

(317)346-4686

chambers@jdc.co.johnson.in.us

Deputy Jim Engmark

CIT Deputy

Johnson County Sheriff's Office

jengmark@co.johnson.in.us

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinator:

Mikaela Bixler

Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory CARES Program

mbixler@warsaw.in.gov

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinators:

Aaron Coen

Geminus

aaron.coen@geminus.care

Dustin Wartman, MS
St. John Police Department

dwartman@stjohnin.gov

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinators:

Micki Webb

lpclcc@gmail.com

Detective Sgt. James Lear

LaPorte County Sheriff's Office

jlear@lcso.in.gov

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

Julie Hayden

lossteamindy@mhai.net

https://mhai.net/mha-indianapolis/#lossteam

CIT Coordinators:

Sgt. Lance Dardeen

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Dept.

lance.dardeen@indy.gov

Major David Roberts

Marion Co. Sheriff's Dept.

david.roberts@indy.gov

Donna Yancey

NAMI Greater Indianapolis

donnayancey@att.net

CIT for Youth - Next Class TBD

Detective Brad Hinshaw, IMPD

bradley.hinshaw@indy.gov

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinators:

Taylor Yoder

Parkview Noble Hospital

Taylor.Yoder@parkview.com

Nicole Johnson-Smith

Northeastern Center

Nicole.Johnson-Smith@nec.org

Deputy Todd Weber

Noble County Sheriff's Office

todd.weber@nobleco.gov

Grant Moser

Ligonier Police Department

gmoser@ligonier-in.gov

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinator:

Kathy Barnum

NAMI Southeast Indiana

kathbbarnum52@gmail.com

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinators:

Alison Everhart

aeverhart@co.shelby.in.us

Rod Mohr

Shelby Co. Sheriff Department

rmohr@co.shelby.in.us

Jeremy O'Connor

Shelbyville Police Department

joconnor@cityofshelbyvillein.com

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinator:

Cindy Schulz, LCSW, LCAC

Director, Adult Case Management, St. Joseph County Oaklawn Psychiatric Center, Inc.

(574)533-1234 ext. 4535

cindy.schulz@oaklawn.org

For the Notre Dame Campus CIT Program:

Alex Novelli, Midnight Patrol Lt.

Notre Dame Police Dept.

anovelli@nd.edu

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinator:

Tara Huisman

Steuben County Probation

thuisman@co.steuben.in.us

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

CIT Coordinators:

Jennifer Todd

Toddja10@gmail.com

Detective Sgt. Dan Parmer

ISU Police Dept.

daniel.parmer@indstate.edu

https://www.cit-indiana.org/local-programs

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