Connecting theory to saving lives 

At our annual Summit for Research, we address the need for the world of depression research and the world of local mental health programming to join forces. We hold this Summit in Fort Worth each spring, and bring together top researchers and top foundations to share their expertise and address how we can better support our community and positively impact mental health.

Through the summit, we were able to think critically about how we can partner with universities, colleges and other foundations, and use the knowledge they generate to influence our programming. We hope to continue the summit in addition to our commitment to funding research directly, in pursuit of our goal to save lives.

2024 Researcher Participants

  • Dr. Rhonda C. Boyd is an Associate Professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. She is the Associate Director of the CHOP’s Child and Adolescent Mood Program in the outpatient clinic where she practices as a licensed psychologist specializing in the evaluation and treatment of youth with depression and suicide risk.

  • Amy's research interests fall under the broad category of adolescent and young adult self-harm and risk-taking behaviors. Specifically, she studies risk and protective factors for suicide, as well as non-suicidal self-injury. She is especially interested in the role of the body in self-harm, and how factors such as body image, body protection, and body attitudes are related to an individual’s propensity to inflict harm on oneself.

  • Cindy Claassen, Ph.D. is the Director of Psychology, Research and Psychology within the Behavioral Health Service, JPS Health Network in Fort Worth.  Her published research has largely been in the areas of the epidemiology of suicidal events and identification and treatment of patients experiencing acute suicidal crises.

  • Nadia Al-Dajani, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Louisville. Dr Al-Dajani's research focuses on the identification of near-term risk and protective factors of suicidal thoughts and behaviors to better understand contributors of momentary suicide risk and to develop novel prevention/intervention methods.

  • Noni's primary research interest has been in the investigation of stress, coping, and psychosocial functioning in African American adolescents. She examines the effects of stressors in multiple contexts on depression and anxiety in urban, ethnic minority youth.

  • David A. Jobes, Ph.D., ABPP, is a Professor of Psychology, Director of the Suicide Prevention Laboratory, and Associate Director of Clinical Training at The Catholic University of America. He is the author of seven books and numerous peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Jobes is a past President of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and the recipient of various awards for his scientific work.

  • Thomas Joiner, Ph.D. is The Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at Florida State University (FSU), Tallahassee, Florida. Dr. Joiner’s work is on the psychology, neurobiology, and treatment of suicidal behavior and related conditions.

  • Dr. Keyne Law completed her doctoral education at the University of Southern Mississippi and her pre-doctoral clinical internship at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.  Her research primarily focuses on examining the dynamic changes and interplay between ecological, cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and biological systems that facilitate the development of suicidal thoughts and the progression into lethal suicidal behavior.

  • Dr. Mitchell joined the Texas Tech University Department of Psychological Sciences as an Assistant Professor in 2019. His research interests include suicide risk and protective factors, interventions, and prevention.

  • Laura Novak, M.S., M.P.S. is a fifth-year civilian doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) in Bethesda, MD, working under the mentorship of Dr. Marjan Holloway. Ms. Novak’s program of research focuses on factors associated with help-seeking among individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors, particularly among Service members, Veterans, and their families.

  • Erik Reinbergs, PhD is an assistant professor in the combined school/clinical psychology program at the University of Houston Clear Lake. He is also a licensed psychologist and a credentialed school psychologist. He focuses on the prevention, assessment, and treatment of suicide and self-harm across school and clinical settings, particularly for youth and families.

  • Beverlin Rosario-Williams, Ph.D. is a doctoral candidate in the Health Psychology and Clinical Science Ph.D. program at The Graduate Center, City University of New York. Her research focuses on the interplay of cognitive-emotional factors that increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adolescents and emerging adults, particularly minoritized youth.

  • Dr. Megan Rogers is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Texas State University. Dr. Rogers's research primarily focuses on short-term cognitive, physiological, affective, and behavioral risk factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, with an emphasis on the phenomenology, etiology, and assessment of acute suicidal crises.

  • Jonathan B. Singer, Ph.D., LCSW is Professor at Loyola University Chicago's School of Social Work, Past-President of the American Association of Suicidology and coauthor of two editions of the best-selling text, Suicide in Schools: A Practitioner's Guide to Multi-level Prevention, Assessment, Intervention, and Postvention.

  • Madhukar Trivedi is a Professor of Psychiatry, Chief of the Division of Mood Disorders, and Founding Director of the Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Trivedi is an established clinical and translational researcher with extensive experience serving as PI on numerous single and multi-site clinical trials funded by NIH, foundations, and industry sponsors. He is the scientific director of the Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network (TX-YDSRN), a statewide initiative to assess the status of youth mental health and to spread the use of measurement-based care in Texas.

2024 Foundation Participants

  • The Culley Strong Foundation

    The Culley Strong Foundation started in 2019 when Sean Culley, a 19-year-old freshmen at the University of Kentucky, died by suicide. Our goal is to help reduce the stigma of mental health and create a world where asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of health. LEARN MORE »

  • The Speedy Foundation

    The Speedy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization named after 3-time Olympian, Jeret "Speedy" Peterson of Boise, ID and Park City, UT, who we lost to suicide. Our mission is to prevent suicide and encourage mental health action. LEARN MORE »

  • The Grace Loncar Foundation

    The Grace Loncar Foundation was founded in 2017 by Grace’s mother Sue Loncar after Grace died by suicide at the age of 16. The foundation is on a mission to openly address the darkness of depression, mental illness, and suicide by bringing forth people, programs, and resources that provide education, support, treatment, and hope to those who are struggling, those who care for someone struggling, and those who have experienced a suicide loss. LEARN MORE »

  • M2G Mental Health Initiative

    Following the loss of a loved one to bipolar disorder in 2017, M2G’s co-founders, Susan Gruppi Miller and Jessica Miller Essl, channeled their heartbreak into action by launching M2G’s Mental Health Initiative (MHI). As a recognized 501(c)(3), we have set out to raise awareness and drive advocacy to change the way mental illness is diagnosed and treated, now and in the future. LEARN MORE »

  • Grant Halliburton Foundation

    Grant Halliburton Foundation was established in 2006 in memory of Grant Halliburton, a Dallas teen who battled depression and bipolar disorder for several years before taking his own life at the age of 19. The Foundation that bears his name works to help people recognize symptoms of mental illness through a variety of avenues including education, conferences, collaboration and connection. LEARN MORE »

  • The Kim Foundation

    The Kim Foundation works to increase awareness around mental health and suicide prevention in Nebraska, to ensure that everyone has access to resources and tools that support mental health and save lives, serving as a communication and connection link between individuals, organizations, and communities. LEARN MORE »

  • Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation

    In 1998, the Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation was named in honor and memory of Jennifer Claire Moore, a 16 year old high school student who lost her life to suicide the year prior. Today, the foundation provides the Peer Helpers PLUS program to 54 schools consisting of K-12 public, private and homeschool cooperatives as well as provides Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainings to adults across Baldwin County, AL. LEARN MORE »

  • Foundation 45

    The Foundation 45 mission is simple - serve the Dallas/Fort Worth creative community by providing free top-tier mental health and recovery services while working to destigmatize the conversation around mental health. Born of the loss of two members of Deep Ellum’s hometown heroes, Spector 45, the foundation works to provide full circle support for anyone struggling with their mental health. LEARN MORE »

  • The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation

    The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation provides the tools to guide those in the darkness of depression into the light. We’re an easy to find and easy to access source of hope for anyone affected by depression and suicide, especially in Tarrant County and North Texas. We reach people through 5 key avenues: the workplace, schools, communities of faith, research, and awareness. With your help, we’ve contributed over $700,000 over the past 10 years.