Dr. julie rickard

Growing up in a dysfunctional home and struggling to make sense of the world I became the person that others looked to.  I quickly learned that I had a knack for helping others and by the time I was 18 yrs old, I knew my purpose was to help others who struggled getting through life.  To help people make sense of chaos and to live the type of life they always wanted, but felt it was out of reach.  I have lived dedicating myself to serving the community, helping people that struggle, and believing I would change the world.  I never knew how until now.  The NCSS is how we will reach and serve the masses well into the future.  

I am a licensed psychologist, who has focused my career on integrating psychologists into medical settings and to suicide prevention efforts.  I am the CEO of Moment by Moment Suicide Prevention and the founder of the Suicide Prevention Coalition of North Central Washington (SPCNCW) in 2012.  My specialty has been working with the most difficult patients, program development, leadership, and being a visionary.  I have worked at the state level, county level, and community level to consult on best practices and policies related to suicide prevention and mental health.   SPCNCW created a best practice pathway for schools to utilize following a death of a student in managing the media as well as providing care for faculty and students.   SPCNCW created models of care and suicide prevention screeners for long-term care facilities managing suicidal seniors, assisted with prevention efforts at the middle and high school level, created policies for colleges, worked with leaders to better understand changes in the workforce related to mental health, developed pathways for primary care settings, and spent many days with grieving families over the loss of a loved one.  I have lost friends and colleagues to suicide and suffered from multiple attempts within my own family.  I am dedicated to a world with zero suicide.  No family should have to endure a loss like that.  Lastly, as the executive director, I opened and ran a crisis stabilization center and saw first hand what is going well in the care provided to suicidal patients and where systems are lacking.  I believe the new NCSS services are adjunctive to what is missing from our current system of care.  There is no other place to get outpatient treatment dedicated to suicide prevention in Washington State.  We welcome you to join us on your journey to wellness!

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Blake

Suzelis

At the age of six years old, I knew I was called to save lives. I was born with a birth defect resulting in severe malabsorption and only given a few years to live. After my last two surgeries in first grade, I felt I had been spared for a reason, and I wasn’t going to waste the life I was given. At first, I believed becoming a pediatric surgeon would be the way I would save lives. However, many years later, I have come to realize that seizing the opportunity to partner with individuals in their most vulnerable time (after a suicide attempt) helps save lives.

​I am a Professional Suicide Consultant, Washington State Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Registered Hypnotherapist, Child Mental Health Specialist, Ohio State Licensed Professional Counselor, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. I am in my last year of my Ph.D. in Mind-Body Medicine. Further, I am the author of The Gift of Luck: The 10 Stages to Deep and Lasting Change (amazon). My experience includes serving children and their families as a child and family therapist, in addition to supervising the WISe program, an intensive program for at-risk youth and families. I have had the opportunity to serve adults dealing with acute and chronic mental illness at a mental health inpatient facility. My passion for supporting suicide survivors was born during my time in the crisis stabilization facility. Lastly, I have spent three and a half years in full-time private practice, in addition to a few years part-time. I look forward to serving you.  

www.blakesuzelis.com