2. Choose your trainer

Jessica Zavala is director of the Ohio Program for Campus Safety and Mental Health (OPCSMH) at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED). As a Coordinating Center of Excellence, this center provides resources and expertise that promote suicide prevention, mental health awareness and stigma reduction activities at Ohio’s institutions of higher education.

Before NEOMED, Jessica worked in community behavioral health organizations in Arizona and Ohio. As director, Jessica works alongside campus stakeholders to disseminate and expand knowledge of best practices in campus suicide prevention to expand mental health wellness for students, staff, and faculty. Amongst many prevention endeavors, Jessica actively serves on various committees and advisories providing guidance, recommendations, and insight to support campus-based mental health initiatives. Jessica is also engaged in efforts that aim to reduce healthcare disparities, promote health equity and social justice.

Annaleise Fisher serves as the Suicide Prevention and Health Promotion Manager with the Ohio Program for Campus Safety and Mental Health. In her current role she is passionate about forging partnerships with Ohio’s Institutions of Higher Education and state partners to expand mental health and suicide prevention initiatives.  Holding a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Education Specialist degree in Counseling from Kent State University, her nearly decade-long experience in clinical and higher education settings has equipped her with strong leadership, advocacy, research, curriculum development, and instruction skills. As a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with a supervision designation, her background includes a strong history working with college-aged students and emerging adults. Her background also includes experience developing evidence-based programs, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, and conducting needs assessments.

Madison Gaskill is a Kent State University alumna, having received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in Counseling Careers and Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Madison joined the OPCSMH team as Program Coordinator in January 2024. Prior to this role, she provided individual and group counseling services, engaged in research with the Program for Research on Anxiety Disorders Among African Americans, and worked with first year college students in education, health, and human services. Madison values being a lifelong learner and is passionate about supporting the mental health and wellness of those aiming to better themselves through higher education and beyond.

Chris Tutino is a Kent State University alumnus, receiving his Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology and Master’s of Public Health with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Sciences. He took his firsts steps into the world of prevention while working at the Kent State University Student Recreation and Wellness Center as a founding member of the Emergency Response Training Committee, which focused on training the student staff to respond to various medical emergencies.

In addition to developing, instructing, and evaluating weekly courses, he was specifically responsible for incorporating mental health crisis response training into the curriculum. Chris also had the opportunity to form a student club, Even Ground, that centered on men’s mental health with a good friend of his. Their goal was to create a safe space for any individual who identified as male to come discuss mental health with a group of their peers. Additionally, the club’s programming aimed to educate students and combat stigmas as well. During his graduate program, he completed an internship with the Kent State University Center for Public Policy and Health, and developed a program to educate students, staff, and faculty on utilizing gratitude journaling to manage symptoms of anxiety and stress. In November 2022, Chris joined the OPCSMH with the goal of preventing suicide and promoting mental health. He achieves this by applying his expertise in Psychology and Public Health to upstream-oriented strategies and policies.