Sarika Oberoi holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology and has experience working with youth aged 16-22 at a non-profit mental health organization. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in human-Centered Design and Engineering at the University of Washington
Category: People
Charlene Ray, MSW, LICSW
Charlene Ray, MSW, LICSW, a longtime grief counselor and Forefront Suicide Prevention Trainer who shares her wisdom and experience.
Elaine Walsh, PhD, RN
Dr. Elaine Walsh is a Professor at the University of Washington in the Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing department. Elaine has provided mental health and suicide risk assessment, intervention, and training in inpatient and community settings. She has been involved in oversight of several federally funded clinical trials addressing adolescent depression, suicide risk and related risk behaviors. Elaine is also a Nurse Scientist at Seattle Children’s and has conducted research and training related to nurse resilience. At Seattle Children’s, she mentors nurses at all levels in conducting research and practice inquiry. She received her Master of Nursing degree from UCLA and a PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Washington. Elaine has been ANCC certified as a Child/Adolescent Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist since 1991. As a faculty member at the UW since 2004, she has taught undergraduate and graduate students. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and is an executive board member of the Lois Price Spratlen Foundation. Prior to coming to Seattle, she held staff nurse and leadership positions in inpatient psychiatry at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital.
Jeffrey Sung, MD
Dr. Jeffrey Sung is a board-certified psychiatrist and clinical assistant professor in the University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. His work includes training and advisory roles with Forefront Suicide Prevention and the Center for Suicide Prevention and Recovery. He has developed and delivered trainings on suicide prevention, suicide care, and responding to patient suicide locally and nationally for a broad range of health professionals, lay audiences and organizations, including technology companies and the U.S. Navy. For seventeen years, he provided psychiatric care in downtown Seattle through a Health Care for the Homeless Network grant. Dr. Sung also maintains a private practice for patient care, training, forensic and clinical consultation.
Sam Pacampara, MA
Sam Pacampara is a School Mental Health Specialist with six years of school counseling experience in comprehensive high schools in Oregon and Washington. She holds her Masters of Education in School Counseling from Seattle University. Passionate about supporting schools in creating equitable and sustainable systems, she is an advocate for comprehensive mental health supports schoolwide so that all students can be their happiest, healthiest selves. She is honored to partner with school teams in meeting their unique and complex needs, whatever those may be on any given day.
Michelle Flores, MA
Michelle Flores joined Forefront Suicide Prevention as a School Mental Health Specialist in Spring 2023. She received her BA in Anthropology from California State University, Long Beach and her MA in Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy from Lewis and Clark College. She has worked professionally in independent schools, and her background involves work as a program director in student and residential life. Her work is further informed by her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Katherine Painter, MSW
Katherine Painter, MSW joined the Forefront Suicide Prevention team as a Training Program Specialist in October 2022. She received her MSW from Washington University in St. Louis with a concentration in clinical gerontology and BAs in Psychology and English from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. After moving to Seattle in 2014, Katherine has worked for organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Association Washington State Chapter, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and the University of Washington’s School of Pharmacy. Her background involves work in program management, administrative support, and training development. Her work is further informed by her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Zoe Tapp, MPH
Zoe Tapp is the Training, Technical Assistance, & Evaluation Manager at Forefront. Zoe graduated from the University of Washington, School of Public Health, Community-Oriented Public Health Practice program with a Masters degree in June 2021. Most of her work in graduate school centered on service with a strong focus on social justice. Zoe conducted her capstone project with SHARE/WHEEL, a local homelessness organization in Seattle, helping them identify and map vacant property that could be used to provide shelter services. Prior to graduate school, she worked at Sea Mar Community Health Centers in the Behavioral Health Department. Zoe received her undergraduate degree from Western Washington University, where she designed her major in immigration, sociology and law. Zoe grew up in Seattle and loves living in the Pacific Northwest.
Nick Klein, MSW
Born and raised in Kennewick, WA, Nick received his Masters in Social Work from Eastern Washington University. He comes to Forefront Suicide Prevention after living in Washington,DC since 2009 where he worked on a successful Presidential campaign and for the National Association of Social Workers. He has extensive visual communications experience serving clients in the nonprofit, corporate, and academic sectors with his conference photography company in Seattle.
Rebecca Vaux
As Forefront’s Communications Director, Rebecca oversees the organization’s marketing, communications and outreach programs. Prior to joining Forefront, Rebecca co-founded and led a political advocacy group campaigning for public schools in Washington state. A UK native, Rebecca started her career in the British civil service before moving to Seattle, where she worked in tech, including stints at start-ups, Docusign, and Amazon, where she led worldwide customer service communications and business policy management.