Scott Payne, M.Div. has been involved in crisis and suicide prevention work in one form or another since 2007. Just out of Vanderbilt Divinity School, he took a job at Family and Children's Service (FCS) in Nashville as a crisis counselor. What he intended as a stop-gap position before entering the ministry turned into a new calling and a seven-year stint with FCS.

Scott went on to work in a substance use program and as a hospice chaplain before taking on his current role as Manager of Outreach and Support with Contact Care Line.

While Scott has lost several friends and family members to suicide, he has also been privileged to witness people overcome suicidal thoughts and behavior and reconnect with hope, life, community, family, and friends.

Anne Burnett Young, MS, LADAC II, CAS is the Director of Recovery Support Services at the Metro Drug Coalition in Knoxville, Tennessee. She has been a dedicated advocate for addiction treatment and suicide prevention, with a professional career spanning over 39 years.

Anne is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselor, Recovery Coach, and Certified Addiction Specialist. Her extensive experience includes various clinical and leadership roles in the addiction treatment field. As a QPR and ASIST trainer, Anne regularly conducts training in assessment and safety planning for agencies and organizations across the region. Her commitment to suicide prevention is evident through her 10-term appointment to the TSPN's Advisory Council, including a term as its chair. 

Matt Magráns-Tillery, MHA serves Cherokee Health Systems as its Regional Director of Operations and Director of Community Relations & Government Affairs. He was the Vice President of Rental Assistance at Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation, Knox County’s public housing authority, from 2019 until 2023.

Matt is the past President and Chair of the Knoxville-Knox County Homeless Coalition and current member of the Governing Council for the Tennessee Valley Coalition to End Homelessness’s Continuum of Care. Additionally, Matt serves on the Board of Directors for the Metro Drug Coalition. Matt co-authored “Knoxville’s Plan to Address Homelessness: Case Management Standards of Care,” and he completed the University of Tennessee’s Consortium of Social Enterprise Effectiveness Program in 2021.

Audrey Elion, Ph.D. is the owner of Elion Management Consulting, LLC, and President of the Tennessee Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development, a division of the Tennessee Counseling Association. She is past chair of the Public Policy and Legislation Committee for the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development for the American Counseling Association. 

Audrey is the chair of the Greater Memphis Region of TSPN. She is active within Memphis Shelby County Schools as a substitute teacher, Arise2Read tutor, and TN Achieves mentor. Dr. Elion has a history working in mental health, leadership, crisis assessment, and college/university settings. Additionally, she serves as a board member for Freed Life, which focuses on addressing human trafficking in West Tennessee. All of this is in addition to Dr. Elion's work with TSPN, including a stint as chair of its Advisory Council.

A. Marisa Whitsett, Ph.D., LPC-MHSP, NCC is the Assistant Director of Programs for the Office of Behavioral Health Safety Net and Older Adults at the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. She has extensive experience working with individuals experiencing serious mental illness, substance abuse disorders, homelessness, and suicide risk.

Marisa has served in various clinical, supervisory, and program leadership roles, overseeing crisis intervention, suicide prevention initiatives, and evidence-based treatment programs. A longtime advocate for vulnerable populations, she is dedicated to improving access to housing and mental health care and supporting statewide suicide prevention efforts.

Allison White, LCSW is the supervisor of the Living Well Network at Methodist-Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis, which provides online and phone support for people experiencing anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and problem drinking. The program also offers referrals to counselors, physicians, and treatment programs.

Allison has been a therapist and licensed clinical social worker for the past 24 years. She operates a private practice part-time and has experience working in community mental health, corrections, school systems, and therapeutic foster care.

Allison's service to TSPN includes a stint as co-lead for its Advocacy Committee while still only a volunteer, a distinction which led to her recommendation for the local Advisory Council. 

Becky Stoll, MSW, LCSW is the Senior Vice President of Crisis Services at Centerstone. She oversees its state and national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline call centers, mobile crisis response teams, crisis walk-in centers, and crisis stabilization units.

Becky has more than three decades of experience in crisis services, disaster mental health, and suicide prevention. She has worked at Centerstone since 1999 as vice president of crisis and disaster management, director of crisis services, and crisis call center program manager.

Becky co-chairs the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Steering Committee and the American Association of Suicidology Advisory Council and is Chair Emeritus of the Board of Directors for the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. Stoll’s work has appeared in Time magazine, USA Today, the Washington Post, and other major national publications.

Charmaine Kromer, LPC-MHSP is the Chief Operating Officer for Community-Based Services at Youth Villages, with 32 years of behavioral health experience. She spent 28 of those years at Youth Villages, providing direct services and overseeing programs for youth and families across Tennessee.

One of her primary roles has been overseeing Specialized Crisis Services, which provides 24/7 statewide youth mental health crisis response.  

Charmaine plays an active role in engaging communities across the state in the Zero Suicide Initiative. A significant part of her work involves intensive in-home community programs like Intercept that divert youth from psychiatric hospitals and emergency rooms. She serves on the boards of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth and the Commissioner’s Children's Council for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.  

Sheldon Walker, BS is a Public Health Administrator in the division of Behavioral Health & Wellness within the Metro (Nashville) Public Health Department. Part of his work involves facilitating behavioral health and Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training sessions. Sheldon also co-chairs the Suicide Prevention in the African American Faith Community Coalition, where he offers resources and support to religious communities and advocates for culturally relevant solutions to mental health challenges within the African American community.

Outside of his professional roles, Sheldon is a community activist, a deacon at Watson Grove Baptist Church in Nashville, and a member of several coalitions that focus on youth advocacy, trauma recovery, and public health. 

Brenda Harper, BSW worked at Volunteer Behavioral Health for 35 years before her retirement in 2013. Over the years, she served as Day Treatment Program Coordinator, Coordinator of Geriatric Services, Director of Clinical Operations and Community-Based Services, and hospital liaison at multiple psychiatric hospitals. She concluded her career as the Center Director for three agency locations.

Since leaving Volunteer, Brenda has remained active with multiple groups. At one point she chaired both TSPN's Mid-Cumberland Region and the Advisory Council. Brenda is also actively involved with the County Health Councils for both Trousdale and Wilson counties, and she became a member of Volunteer's Board of Directors in 2022.

Joseph Chatman III, MSW serves as the chairman of the Montgomery-Houston-Humphreys-Robertson-Stewart County Suicide Prevention Task Force. This quasi-independent TSPN group implements TSPN objectives in these counties in coordination with the larger Mid-Cumberland Region.

Joseph is a certified trainer and active presenter in multiple suicide prevention and mental health training platforms. These training options include QPR and the QPR Suicide Triage course, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), safeTALK, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES), and Mental Health First Aid for Adults (MHFA).

As a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Joseph routinely produces videos with special messages of encouragement to promote self-care and suicide prevention, along with promoting 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Several of these videos have appeared on TSPN's social media channels. 

Dr. Stephanie Evans, Ph.D., LPC/MHSP-S, NCC is the Executive Director of Mighty Oak Christian Mental Health Services, based out of Springfield, and an adjunct professor at Austin Peay State University. Stephanie is a Licensed Professional Counselor Mental Health Service Provider (LPC/MHSP) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC) with over 18 years of clinical experience, 14 of them in community mental health. She received her Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Counseling: Teaching and Supervision) degree from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville.

Stephanie has been an active volunteer with TSPN since 2019, providing suicide prevention training and education throughout Middle Tennessee. She also serves as Secretary for the Tennessee Licensed Professional Counselors Association, and she is a member of the Robertson County Health Council. 

Heatherly Sifford, BSPH is the Trauma Injury Prevention Program Coordinator for the Johnson City Medical Center Hospital. Heatherly has worked in public health since graduating from East Tennessee State University 20 years ago. She has volunteered with TSPN's Northeast Region for twelve years, offering training throughout the region's eight counties.

 In her own words: "I want to help people understand the problem of suicide, but to also not be afraid to talk about it. It's important to know what the warning signs are and to being open to having a conversation with someone who doesn't seem themselves." 

Dr. Drew Turner, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP, ACHPN is the Hospice/Palliative Care Program Director for the James H. Quillen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Clinic, working with patients with life-limiting illnesses. 

Drew has 22 years of nursing experience including 18 years as a nurse practitioner. He is certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC), Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP, and Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner (ACHPN). 

Dr. Turner provides education throughout James H. Quillen VAMC, serving as its Life-Sustaining Treatment Decision Initiative (LSTDI) Coordinator. In 2019, he served on the National VA Life-Sustaining Treatment Advisory Board in Washington, D.C. Before coming to the VA, Dr. Turner spent seven years working with the Inpatient Palliative Care Service at Methodist North Hospital in Memphis. 

Sean Jones, LCSW is the Clinical Operations Officer at Carey Counseling Center in Jackson, Northwest Tennessee's leading behavioral health provider. Within Carey, Sean rose through the organization as a therapist, site director for Carey's Trenton office, and its Clinical Director.

Before joining Carey, Sean was the Program Director at the Midwest Tennessee Center for Child Welfare within the University of Tennessee at Martin and the Clinical Manager for the Children and Youth Team at Pathways, a subsidiary of West Tennessee Healthcare.

Aside from his clinical work, Sean has been an adjunct professor at the UT-Martin and Union University. He teaches bachelor-level social work classes, specializing in social work policy, human diversity, and oppressed populations.

Stacie Fernandez, BA is the Director of Business Development at Perimeter Behavioral Hospital of Jackson, Tennessee. Outside of her day job, Stacie is a volunteer with CASA of Midwest Tennessee, which is affiliated with Tennessee CASA and the National CASA GAL organizations. As such, Stacie serves as a court advocate for abused and neglected children in Carroll and Gibson Counties.

Stacie has been a dedicated volunteer within TSPN's Northwest Region since 2017. In recognition of her efforts, she received the local Regional Suicide Prevention Award in 2023 and was appointed to TSPN's Advisory Council the following year. 

Nora Fielding is on the board and responsible for marketing for Team Honor, a non-profit organization that provides support and raises awareness for Blue Star and Gold Star families--those with someone serving in the armed forces and those who have lost a family member while serving in the military, respectively.

When Nora lost her sister to suicide in 2015, it affected her tremendously and inspired her to volunteer with TSPN. Ultimately, she became an Advisory Council member and a member of its Executive Committee, serving as its treasurer for two years. 

Tyler Sanders, LCSW is a Clinic Manager with Centerstone, having worked with the agency as a case manager and outpatient therapist. His clinical experience includes direct services such as case management and therapy. Tyler is trained in providing EMDR therapy, and his areas of specialty include treating adults suffering from developmental trauma. He is also trained in the ASIST model to identify suicide-risk and the RELATE model to provide treatment for suicidality. As a certified QPR trainer, Tyler provides community suicide prevention gatekeeper trainings. 

Tyler’s belief in the dignity and worth of all persons and a person’s right to self-determination drives his work in the mental health field. He believes that the impact of suicide is far-reaching and is 100% preventable.

Tyler is one of our newest Advisory Council members, starting his first full term last September. 

The Advisory Council has an open position within the South Central Region. Contact the TSPN central office at tspn@tspn.org if you are interested in applying for the position or nominating a third party.

Jim Lewis, BA is a Family Care Coordinator with Tennessee Donor Services and a Board-Certified Mental Health and Resiliency Coach. He is also a board member with the Tennessee Federation of Fire Chaplains and the Tennessee Crisis Response Network. In both these capacities, he provides crisis response following traumatic incidents and natural disasters.

With a passion for caring for people who are facing life’s challenges, Jim has served in ministry and emergency services for more than 30 years. Jim’s life mission is to walk with and care for people, helping them recognize, receive, and embrace health, wholeness, and love in all the rhythms of life.

Christy Sentell, BS RT(R) (CT) is the Project Manager in Clinical Informatics for CHI Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, overseeing its electronic health record. She has worked in healthcare for 23 years in X-ray, CT scan, and as CHI's Director of Imaging.

Christy lost her brother Slade to suicide in 2003. Her passion for suicide prevention and desire to help others ultimately led her to TSPN, where she connected with prevention experts and other survivors.

Since 2019, Christy has served as the ambassador for Suicide Prevention Week at all CHI Memorial locations. In 2020, she oversaw the distribution of badges featuring the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) to all hospital employees, clinical and non-clinical. As a certified QPR trainer, Christy provides community suicide prevention gatekeeper trainings. 

Dr. Jolene Cook, Psy.D., LCSW is a Community Engagement & Partnerships Coordinator (CEPC) with the VA Medical Center in Chattanooga. She works with the VA's Suicide Prevention Team, which covers approximately 40 counties in Tennessee and north Georgia. Jolene holds a doctorate in psychology and a master’s degree in social work, and she is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). She has previously worked as a teacher and coach.

Jolene served 18 years in the military, in both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force, with a deployment to the Middle East. She still serves in the Tennessee National Guard as a behavioral health officer. 

Lynn Julian, MA has worked in mental health for 38 years, volunteering with TSPN since 2014. Last April, Lynn accepted the role of Territory Manager for Rural West Tennessee for Woodland Recovery Center. She continues working as a PRN for Pathways Mobile Crisis program, where she worked four years following a five-year run as a crisis responder and crisis program manager for Youth Villages.

Lynn chairs the Region VI Planning and Policy Council for TDMHSAS and assisted in starting a Spiritual Care Network of the MidSouth meeting in Jackson in partnership with Freed-Hardeman University.

Finally, Lynn is a two-time survivor of suicide loss; her son and his wife both died by suicide 26 days apart in June 2018.

Amy Bechtol, MA, MS, CPRS is a consultant and advocate in mental health and addiction recovery. Her academic career spanned 25 years, during which she taught psychology at the university level and published peer-reviewed research in health-related behavior change and persuasion.

 In 2019, Amy began working full-time in the recovery field, combining her knowledge and training in psychology with her lived experience as a person in long-term recovery from co-occurring alcohol addiction and mental illness. She obtained certification as a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist in 2020. Since then, Amy has shared her work as a consultant/advocate with peers and professionals in the faith community, behavioral health settings, and government agencies.

Sarah Mays, MACR, CPRS  is the Tennessee First Responder Resource Engagement Specialty Team Care Coordinator in southern West Tennessee. She is also a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist with 11 years of personal recovery from mental health and substance use disorder. Sarah has several years of experience in the human services field including work in domestic violence, peer advocacy, aging, adoption/foster placement, and mental health. Sarah serves as a member of the West TN Regional Crisis Intervention Team board and a member of the board of directors for Youth Town. 

As a Care Coordinator, Sarah is a direct resource to first responders and law enforcement. Sarah acts as an additional resource to those who first responders come into contact with who need extra support and resources for Substance Use Disorder through care coordination and peer support provided by a person in recovery from substance use disorder.

Anne Stamps, M.Ed. is the Center Director for Volunteer Behavioral Health's Crossville and Livingston locations and the agency's Regional Vice President.

At Volunteer, Anne has worked 23 years as an outpatient therapist, Children’s Team Lead, and Center Director. She is involved in the Upper Cumberland Adult Abuse Coalition, the Upper Cumberland Council on Children and Youth, the Clay County Anti-drug Coalition, and the Upper Cumberland Regional Health Council. 

Anne is a Certified Crisis Intervention Team Trainer and Facilitator who works with the law enforcement community in the Upper Cumberland. She has been involved with TSPN for over 12 years.

Dr. John B. Averitt, Ph.D. holds doctorates from Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, a licensed psychologist designated as a health service provider certified in trauma psychology, addiction, and psychopharmacology who maintained a private practice in Cookeville for 40 years.

John is a retired sergeant with the Cookeville Police Department, and he currently serves as the CPD's psychologist and a member of its crisis negotiation team. He also works as a Psychological Hospitalist at Cookeville Regional Medical Center.

John is a Master Addictions Counselor in the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals (NCCAP). In 2017 he received the Karl F. Heiser American Psychological Association Presidential Award for Advocacy, one of only three such awards ever given in Tennessee. 

Kristi Paling, M.A. is the Upper Cumberland Regional Coordinator for the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth. The Commission is an independent state agency that advocates for systems changes through data-driven advocacy, education, and collaboration to benefit children and families.

Kristi collects and disseminates information on children and families that helps TCCY plan and coordinate its policies, programs, and services. As a Regional Coordinator, Kristi maintains a local council and hosts several educational learning opportunities on topics pertinent to children, youth, and families. Kristi started with the Commission in 2016, part of a career in child welfare that spans 24 years.