About us.

We help prevent suicide in Virginia communities by providing resources & education in suicide prevention.

"Lock" icon

Lock

We promote the importance of limiting access to lethal means for a person with suicide thoughts. Our partners provide free safety devices to secure guns and medications. They also offer free educational materials and guidelines about storing and securing lethal means. We consult and partner with businesses and helping agencies to build communities safer from suicide.
"Talk" icon

Talk

We teach anyone how to have conversations that can save lives using a variety of evidence-based skills trainings. Talking encourages people with thoughts of suicide to seek the help they need to stay alive. Discussing suicide changes the societal outlook on suicide and increases our awareness and ability to help those in emotional pain. Talking about suicide helps heal the survivors of a loss or an attempt by opening the door to hope and recovery.
Lock Meds. Lock Guns. Talk Safety.
Picture of Lock and Talk specialists

Our History:
The Founding Mothers

Since 2015, eight prevention professionals in the northern and western community mental health agencies of Virginia worked diligently to develop and implement a new community suicide prevention program.

These “Founding Mothers” expanded the program across Virginia in partnership with Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

Now, Lock and Talk is embedded in Prevention Services at Community Services Boards around the state.

Trusted by our partners

If you're interested in partnering with us to help prevent suicide in your community, please reach out.

Blue Ridge Poison Center

Kristin Wenger, Public Health Educator

A 24-hour, 7-days a week hotline for help with suspected poisonings.

Thomas Jefferson Area CIT Program

Thomas von Hemert, Coordinator

Reduces unnecessary restraint and incarceration of people with mental illness and provides treatment.

Governer’s Challenge

Brandi Jancaitis, Military and Veterans Affairs Manager, DBHDS

Prevents suicide among service members, veterans, and their families using a comprehensive public health approach.

VA Dept of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services Office of Behavioral Health Wellness

Laura Robertson, Suicide Prevention Coordinator

Promotes behavioral health wellness through strategies proven to reduce substance use and promote mental health.

Meet our team

Our team is committed to suicide prevention and helping those who may be struggling. Please know that there is help available. You are not alone.

Headshot Jordan Brooks
Jordan Brooks
Program Manager

Jordan Brooks serves as the Regional Suicide Prevention Program Manager for DBHDS Region 1, as well as the Lock and Talk Virginia Coordinator. Jordan has served in the Prevention field for 4 years, with a passion for mental health education/awareness and suicide prevention. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor within the Commonwealth of Virginia and has over 12 years of experience working as a crisis clinician for both youth and adults. Jordan is a certified Instructor for training programs to include: Mental Health First Aid for Youth, Adult, Public Safety and Fire/EMS Curricula, safeTALK, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), REVIVE!, and Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) for law enforcement and first responders. Jordan currently co-chairs the Suicide Prevention Awareness and Resource Council (SPARC) in Charlottesville, VA. She obtained her Bachelor’s in Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University and her Master’s of Professional Counseling at Liberty University.

HeadshotRebecca Textor
Rebecca Textor
Program Manager

Rebecca Textor is a Behavioral Health Wellness Consultant with Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental services. She is one of the "founding mothers" of Lock and Talk while she served as the first regional coordinator for suicide prevention in the state. Rebecca believes passionately in the Lock and Talk call to action, and she is honored to continue to support the evolution of Lock and Talk in her current role as a certified prevention specialist for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In addition to providing technical assistance, training, and programmatic support for Lock and Talk, she oversees Virginia’s prevention efforts for the State Opioid Response with federal funding. Rebecca earned a Master of Prevention Science degree from The University of Oklahoma and completed her undergraduate degree at James Madison University. She has worked as a substance abuse prevention professional within the Virginia Community Services Boards since 2010, and prior to that, she was a community health coordinator with Carilion Health System. She is a member of Rockbridge Bath Regional Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition since 2008, and a facilitator of Virginia’s Suicide Prevention Interagency Advisory Group. Rebecca is active in the Virginia Governor’s Challenge, DBHDS Opioid Task Force, and Virginia Opioid Prevention Committee. She is a certified instructor of ASIST, safeTALK, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Adult Mental Health First Aid, ACE Interface, and Suicide Awareness for CIT.

HeadshotMichelle Wagaman
Michelle Wagaman
Prevention Services Director

Michelle T. Wagaman is the Prevention Services Director for the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board in historic Fredericksburg, VA. She has been employed with RACSB for 16 years and previously served as the Public Information Officer. Michelle is a Mental Health First Aid instructor and is certified in the Adult, Youth, Public Safety and Higher Education curriculums. Additionally, she is an ASIST Instructor, safeTalk Instructor, ACE Interface Master Trainer, Community Resilience Initiative Course 1 and Course 2 Instructor, and REVIVE! Trainer. Working with fellow prevention professionals in Health Planning Region 1, Michelle is one of the “founding mothers” of the Lock and Talk Virginia suicide prevention initiative. Michelle serves as vice-chairperson of the local prevention coalition, The Community Collaborative for Youth and Families and leads the Opioid Workgroup as part of Be Well Rappahannock. She is an Ambassador Leader with Girl Scout Troop 263 based at Fredericksburg United Methodist Church. Michelle is a graduate of Roanoke College and a 2018 Leadership Fredericksburg fellow through the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce.

HeadshotJanuwaa Davis
Januwaa Davis
Program Manager

Januwaa Davis is the Program Manager of Prevention and Wellness Services at Horizon Behavioral Health. She is a native of Lynchburg and graduate of Liberty University in which she earned her degree in Psychology. She has worked in the field of substance use prevention for the past 22 years. For many of those years she coordinated the Families and Schools Together, FAST, program in which she is credited with successfully graduating over 800 families. She is currently a certified trainer for FAST, Mental Health First Aid, Bridges Out of Poverty, Getting Ahead, REVIVE!, and ACE’s. Januwaa is an active member of several community coalitions aimed at increasing protective factors and reducing the risk of addiction in youth. As a graduate of the National Council for Behavioral Health’s Addressing Health Disparities Leadership Program, she is committed to overcoming barriers to diversity within organizations and eliminating health disparities among behavioral health populations. Januwaa is passionate about creating systems, policies and environments that support the health and well-being of residents in Central Virginia.

HeadshotJenna Cline
Jenna Cline
Prevention Services Program Manager

Jenna Cline is the Prevention Services Program Manager at Rockbridge Ara Community Services. She earned a degree in Health and Exercise Science at Bridgewater College. Jenna has worked in the mental health field since graduating college in 2021. She has worked as a Registered Behavioral Technician and as a School Intervention Specialist working with youth in the local school system. Continuing her journey in the mental health field as a prevention services program manager, she is now trained in Youth and Adult Mental Health First Aid and safeTALK. Jenna is a member of Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition and Live Healthy Rockbridge Kids Coalition. In her free time, she can be spotted in the Appalachian Mountains hiking and exploring nature with the people she is closest to.

HeadshotShannon Urum
Shannon Urum
Prevention and Wellness Services Coordinator

Shannon Urum graduated with her Bachelor of Social Work Degree in 2001 from Southern Adventist University. She has over 12 years of experience in Prevention and Wellness and is the current Prevention and Wellness Services Coordinator at Northwestern Community Services Board. Shannon approaches work from a trauma-responsive, collaborative perspective and has spent the majority of her career working to create more resilient healthy communities. Shannon is a Certified Mental Health First Aid Trainer, REVIVE trainer and ACES Interface Master trainer. She lives in the Shenandoah Valley with her husband and 2 children.

HeadshotMo Bowler
Mo Bowler
Behavioral Health Wellness Coordinator

Mo Bowler has served as the Behavioral Health Wellness Coordinator at Harrisonburg-Rockingham Community Services Board since 2021. Mo is a graduate of Arcadia University where she received her degree in Cultural Anthropology. Mo is a trainer of Adult Mental Health First Aid, REVIVE!, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), and ACE Interface. Mo is a member of 4 Harrisonburg-area coalitions including Futuro Latino Coalition, Faces 4 Change Coalition, the Safety Net Coalition, and a Steering Committee member of the Healthy Community Collaborative. Prior to working in prevention, Mo spent 2 years doing national service across the United States with AmeriCorps where she received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Congressional Award for her service. Mo’s favorite part of her work is the relationship building and the incredible collaboration she gets to do daily within her community.

HeadshotZarina Burdge
Zarina Burdge
Director of Prevention Services

Zarina Burdge is the Director of Prevention Services at Region Ten Community Services Board. She is a licensed clinical social worker and received her MSW from Virginia Commonwealth University. Zarina is an instructor in Mental Health First Aid (Adult, Youth and Teen), Community Resilience Initiative Course 1: Trauma-Informed and Course 2: Trauma-Supportive, ACE Interface, REVIVE!, safeTALK and ASIST. She serves on the steering committees of the Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition and the Greater Charlottesville Trauma-Informed Community Network (TICN), and is active in other coalitions including the Suicide Prevention Awareness and Resource Council (SPARC), Charlottesville Area Network Dedicated to Youth Development (CANDYD),and the Charlottesville Tobacco Free Community Coalition (TFCC). Zarina lives in Charlottesville with her husband and 3 kids.

HeadshotErin Botkin
Erin Botkin
Prevention Services Coordinator

Erin Botkin (she/her) serves as the Prevention Services Coordinator at Valley Community Services Board (VCSB) in Staunton, VA. In her 14-year tenure at VCSB, Erin has worked on numerous projects in the field of Prevention Services and holds training certifications in the following curricula: ACE Interface, Mental Health First Aid, REVIVE!, safeTALK, and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). Erin previously served as Board of Director’s Chair for two local non-profits and currently participates on VCSB's Racial Equity, Social Justice, and Health Equity Committee. She is a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

HeadshotAlan Rasmussen
Alan Rasmussen
Prevention Manager

Alan is employed with Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services in Culpeper, Virginia as a Prevention Manager. Alan has worked with this organization since October 16, 2003 with a focus on suicide and substance abuse prevention. Alan has been a professor for the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Program at the University of Virginia since 2002. He teaches two (3) liberal studies seminars entitled Good Cop/Bad Cop, An Examination of the Criminal Justice System and Mental Health Disorders of Modern Society. Alan was previously employed as Chief Probation and Parole Officer for the Virginia Department of Corrections from February 16, 1976 until he retired on September 1, 2003. He worked as the supervisor of the Charlottesville and Culpeper Adult Probation and Parole Offices during his tenure. Alan graduated from the University of Virginia in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and in 1977 with a Master’s Degree in Counselor Education.

Headshot Tiffany Bowser
Tiffany Bowser
Prevention Services Supervisor

Tiffany Bowser serves as the Prevention Services and Adult Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Case Management Supervisor at Alleghany Highlands Community Services. She has been a part of AHCS for over 10 years with 5 of those years being in the field of prevention. Tiffany previously held the positions of Early Intervention Specialist and Residential Support Services Supervisor for Developmental Services. She is a certified ACE’s instructor and is certified in Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid. Additionally, Tiffany is a REVIVE! Trainer and certified in ASIST as well. Tiffany is the chairperson for the Alleghany Highlands Healthy Youth Coalition and volunteers with Olde Town Covington, a local non-profit. Tiffany is a graduate of Old Dominion University and a lifelong resident of Alleghany County where she spends time with her husband and five children.

Find your local CSB

We partner with Community Service Boards (CSBs) all over Virginia to provide publicly funded suicide prevention resources.

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Do you need support?

Are you or someone you know thinking of suicide?

Call or Text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

If you have an immediate medical emergency, call 911