• Charleta B. Tavares
• Julie Erwin Rinaldi
• Mark McDaniel
• Randall J. LaFond - MA, M. Div., MBA, LICDC, CEAP
• Robert Bartha
• Rabbi Daniel A. Roberts
• Susan A. Farnham
• Eddie Allen
• James J. Cook
• Dr. Paul Granello
• Dean Turner
• Joan Wyler

Julie Erwin Rinaldi

Julie Erwin Rinaldi serves as the Vice President of Consumer and Network Services for the ADAMH Board of Franklin County. She has held this position since 2001. In this role, Erwin Rinaldi and her team are responsible for the programmatic and clinical oversight of the 41 provider agencies in the ADAMH network of care as well as inpatient hospital management and system partner collaborative projects.

Erwin Rinaldi has worked for the ADAMH Board of Franklin County for more than 13 years. Before she joined the ADAMH Board of Franklin County, she worked at the Summit County ADAMH Board and also worked as a direct service provider in the behavioral health care field with children as well as adults. She has been professionally involved in the behavioral health care field for 20 years.

Erwin Rinaldi and her family lost her 19 year old step-daughter to suicide in 2004. Rinaldi has utilized this personal tragedy to reach out to others experiencing depression, substance abuse and trauma both in her personal and professional life.

Erwin Rinaldi holds a Master of Education degree from Kent State University. In addition, she serves on the board at both the State of Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation Board and Communities in Schools. Also, she is a Dublin A.M. Rotary member.

Mark McDaniel

Mark has served in the social service field for the past 28 years; working with children, families and adults throughout west central Ohio. He has been in an executive level position for 18 of those 28 years including the past 9 years as the Executive Director of the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services.

As the Executive Officer of the Tri-County Board, Mark assists the 18 volunteer Board members in planning and funding mental health and substance abuse services on behalf of the citizens of Darke, Miami and Shelby Counties.

Mark earned a Bachelor degree in Psychology from Bowling Green State University and a MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University. He participates in numerous organizations through out the tri-county region and was a co-founder of the Tri-County Suicide Prevention Coalition and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation. In 2002, Mark was honored with the “Director of the Year” award by the Ohio Advocates for the Mentally Ill and in 2005 was named the “Executive Director of the Year” by the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill of Ohio.

Randall J. LaFond - MA, M. Div., MBA, LICDC, CEAP

Regional Director Psychiatric and Behavioral Services
Mercy Health Partners Northern Region

Randall LaFond is currently the Regional Director of Psychiatric and Behavioral Services for Mercy Health Partners, Northern Region, Toledo, Ohio. He over sees psychiatric and behavioral services offered at the regions two largest hospitals - St. Charles Mercy Hospital and St Vincent’s Mercy Medical Center. Treatment modalities include 96 beds of Inpatient Psychiatric Services and Out Patient Psychiatric Partial Hospitalization Services.

He holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Dayton, a Master of Divinity from St. Leonard’s College, and a Master of Business Administration from Tiffin University. He is also an Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor (LICDC) and a Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP).

Over the last 25 years he has worked as a counselor, clinical director, program director and chief executive officer in numerous hospital and community based treatment programs and agencies. He has also served as a trainer and consultant to business and industry addressing a broad range of topics including drug free work place, alcohol & drug testing and over all organizational improvement.

He is originally from Bay City Michigan. He began his career in behavioral health in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has worked and lived in the Northwest Ohio area for the past 16 years. He currently resides in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Robert Bartha

Robert E. Bartha, Ph.D. is a licensed Psychologist, with over 25 years of experience in the mental health field, and is an Adjunct Psychology Professor at Columbus State Community College. In 1996, he lost his wife to suicide, and has since been interested and involved in understanding the unique aspects of grieving a suicidal death. In 2003, he authored/published a short book entitled "Grieving Through Suicide" as a help to other survivors. Bob is one of the founding members of the Board of Directors of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.

Rabbi Daniel A. Roberts

Rabbi Daniel A. Roberts, DMin, D.D., F.T., has lectured numerous times at the King's College International Conference on Death and Bereavement in London, Ontario, and has been a “keynote” presenter. Rabbi Roberts received his DMin. from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and wrote his thesis on comforting the mourner. The Association for Death Education and Counseling has named Rabbi Roberts a Fellow in Thanatology. Rabbi Roberts has produced a video on teenage suicide prevention; "Inside, I Ache," which has been used in schools all over the country, and has authored several chapters in book on the subject. He is a believer that we need to train friends near and dear to a potential suicide victim about the warning signs of suicide and to break a confidence and tell an authority if they have any suspicion that a person is crying out for help. Rabbi Roberts also has had a long time interest in the journey through mourning for a loved one and has created a program, “And So the Story Continues…Life after Loss” to help mourners make new meaning out of their life while keeping the memory of their beloved alive and vital in their life.

Susan A. Farnham

A native of Indiana, I attended Miami University and graduated with a BS in Education. I married Jack (a “Miami Merger” now of 36 years) and then taught elementary school in various Ohio school districts for 5 years. After taking time off after our two sons were born, I returned to work at a small family owned contracting business. I have continued at the same company as office manager/treasurer for over 23 years. I have been active in the community as an officer in school booster clubs as well as a member of “Twig” auxiliary of Children’s Hospital. After the devastating loss of our 20 year old son to suicide in 1999, I became acutely aware of suicide as a national health problem. I have been active in a Survivors of Suicide Group attending conferences for survivors and giving presentations to schools and organizations. I have been proud to serve on the OSPF Board since its inception and am currently chairman of the Finance Committee.

Paul F. Granello

Paul F. Granello is an associate professor of Counselor Education at The Ohio State University. He graduated with his M.S. degree in mental health counseling from Stetson University in 1990, and his Ph.D. in counselor education was awarded in 1995 from Ohio University. He is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with supervising credentials.

Paul is a founding partner with the Ohio Department of Mental Health in establishing the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation. He is currently the recipient of the 1.2 million in federal funds for suicide prevention under the Garrett Lee Smith Act. He has presented and trained on suicide over 100 workshops. He has currently co-authored two books on suicide for Allyn & Bacon and Prentice Hall publishers.

Paul also conducts research on psychotherapy outcomes and the psychological and social characteristics of individual well being. He is also very interested in technology in counseling and has recently published 2 DVD’s on counseling for Prentice Hall. He has published 20 articles in peer reviewed national journals, has authored 9 book chapters on suicide, anxiety, technology in counseling, and wellness. He is currently conducting research on anxiety and depression with OSU-Harding Medical Center, and is working with The Ohio State University Managed Health Care system to provide wellness services to target at risk populations.

Paul has presented at state, national, and international conferences on topics related to counseling, suicide, and wellness. He is also dedicated to the local community and has provided numerous workshops on health and wellness topics for both the Ohio State and Columbus communities. He currently is a member of The Ohio State University Campus Wellness Collaborative, and has authored a white paper and action plan for President Holbrook on the topic of wellness. Paul received the David Brooks award for Meritorious Service from the Ohio Counseling Association in 2002. The Ohio Association for Counselor Education award for professional service in 2006, and the Ohio University distinguished alumni award in 2007.

Paul and his wife, Darcy, also a counselor educator at The Ohio State University, live in Powell, Ohio. They are both avid gardeners.

Joan Wyler

Wyler has worked at NORCEN Behavioral Health System for twenty-five years. Wyler serves on the Management Team as Director of Program Development and Community Relations. Wyler oversees and coordinates agency wide special projects, as well as supervises the Prevention and Education Department. Wyler is experienced in both writing and administering grants.

Wyler serves on many community groups including: the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation Board of Trustees, GRADS Advisory Board, Hamilton County Prevention and Education Advisory Board, School Based Services Collaborative, Hamilton County Violence Coalition, Hamilton County Tobacco Partnership, Hamilton County Children’s Oversight Committee, Talbert House Steering Committee, Hamilton County Elderly Task Force, Interface Committee, Suicide Prevention Coalition, Health Foundation Adolescent Substance Use Providers Group, and Mental Health Works Grassroots Committee.

Before joining NORCEN, Wyler worked for ten years in the field of education. Wyler is an experienced journalist. She wrote the bi-monthly column “Healthy Mind” for the Cincinnati Enquirer for seven years. In addition Wyler has written feature stories for the Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati Magazine. She has received recognition as the Outstanding Prevention Professional from the Ohio Department of Mental Health. In addition, CARF has recognized a program developed by Wyler as an “outstanding prevention program.

Wyler has served as program coordinator for pilot grant projects including placement of mental health clinicians in public health centers, developing clinical mental health services for persons who are Deaf, and a collaborative of organizations for youth with sex behavior problems. She is also currently project coordinator at NORCEN for the Hamilton County Tobacco Partnership, Hamilton County Violence Prevention Program and implementing the evidence based programs Seven Challenges and Management, Illness, Recovery models.

Wyler is a graduate of University of Cincinnati with a dual degree from the School of Education and Arts and Sciences.

Dean Turner

Survivor of 14 yr old son’s suicide, member of Ohio Suicide Prevention Team, and then the Advisory Committee to the Foundation. First AAS Conference in 98 for a total of 7, SPAN Conference first in 2001 for a total of 7. First Survivor to start Zanesville SOS Group, Chapter Leader of Columbus Compassionate Friends for 6 years, Regional Coordinator for Ohio for the last 5 years., First TCF national Conf 1997, for a total of 10. Work full time in the waste paper industry.