Staff & Consultants

Dr. Larry Wright is the Center Director for Forefront Suicide Prevention. His career has focused on helping others lead full and healthy lives. As CEO of MENTOR/the National Mentoring Partnership, he worked with a network of state partnerships to close America’s mentoring gap. As COO of the state’s largest private scholarship provider, the College Success Foundation, he helped first generation college students in Washington State and in Washington, DC find success in and out of the classroom.

Dr. Wright is committed to community service and has been a board member for a number of organizations including the National Human Services Assembly, America’s Promise, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound, and the League of Education Voters. Dr. Wright received his Ph.D. in journalism and mass communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his MA in mass communication and BA in English from Washington State University.

Rebecca is the Communications Manager for Forefront Suicide Prevention. Before joining Forefront, Rebecca co-founded and led a public school advocacy group in Washington state. Rebecca is an immigrant who started her career in the public sector in the UK, before moving to Seattle where she spent many years in tech, including stints at start-ups and Amazon, where she led worldwide customer service communications and business policy management during a period of explosive growth.

Emma Mallonée is the Training Manager for Forefront Suicide Prevention. Prior to joining Forefront, Emma worked at the Washington Poison Center conducting a statewide community needs assessment and providing community-informed recommendations for the organization’s public health strategy. She has also applied her public health skills in a wide range of settings, ranging from HIV test counseling in San Francisco to prenatal care and contraceptive education in Cochabamba, Bolivia. She is an advocate for community engagement in public health interventions and is passionate about transforming research into sustainable practice. Emma holds an MPH in Community-Oriented Public Health Practice from the University of Washington and a BA in International Studies from American University.

Phoebe Terhaar has been working in the behavioral health field with a focus on youth and family wellbeing for over 40 years. Her career includes working in substance abuse treatment settings, K-12 schools, best practice program delivery to youth and parents, supporting youth prevention clubs, and active engagement in community coalitions. Her experience also includes working alongside school administrative teams in enhancing districtlevel protocols/policy improvements, student survey coordination, and supervising prevention grants and staff in three King County public school districts. Phoebe is passionate and honored to be part of Forefront’s nationally aligned strategy in educating and strengthening individuals and communities to help save lives. 

Brett Bass is the Safer Homes, Suicide Aware Program Coordinator.  He joins Forefront after years of volunteering on the Firearms Subcommittee of the Safer Homes task force.  Brett enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 2006, completing Military Police School in 2007 as the Honor Graduate of his class.  He reported to MWSS-473, Det. A in Fresno, CA shortly thereafter and was mobilized to active duty.  Upon moving to Washington, Brett transferred to H&S Co. 4th LSB out of Ft. Lewis.  He deployed to Latvia with his battalion in 2010, Kuwait (from 2011-2012) and Afghanistan (from 2012-2013) as an individual augment with MARCENT.

After returning to the United States, Brett began his career in the firearms industry after many years of civilian work in private security.  He currently holds Range Safety Officer, Chief Range Safety Officer, pistol instructor, and rifle instructor certifications from the National Rifle Association as well as CPR, AED, & basic first aid instructor certifications from the Health & Safety Institute.  Brett has trained under some of the world’s most respected defensive shooting instructors, including Ken Hackathorn, Larry Vickers, Daryl Holland, John Holschen, Zach Harrison, and David Sanders.  He has trained thousands of students in the safe, responsible, and effective use of firearms.

Additionally, Brett is a volunteer with the Washington Firearms Tragedy Prevention Network.  He lives in southern Snohomish County with his cat, Louisiana (LouLou).

Jennifer Daniels has a background in operations, training and project/program management in industries ranging from higher ed to healthcare. She has an Organizational Communications degree from Miami University. As a parent to a brood of pre-teens and teenagers, she felt compelled to play a part in supporting youth mental health at a systems level, and is grateful to be part of that work at Forefront. Jennifer can also be found teaching dance fitness classes, hiking, camping and cheering on her kids in their numerous sports and performing arts pursuits! 

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. 

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 photography and video editing company.

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. 

Katherine Painter 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.

Megan Reibel is Forefront’s Director of School-Based Programs, directing a wide range of programing focused on comprehensive suicide prevention across the K-12 sector. She has over 15 years of experience working with young people and their families as a school counselor, coach, classroom teacher, and parent educator. Megan is passionate about increasing the capacity of individuals, schools, and families to effectively manage mental health challenges. Megan holds her Masters of Education in School Counseling and is certified as a Professional Educational Staff Associate in School Counseling. 

Rafaela is a School Mental Health Specialist with Forefront in Schools supporting programing focused on comprehensive suicide prevention across the K-12 sector. She has two decades of experience working in various roles within educational settings engaging with youth, staff, families and community partners. Rafaela is passionate about building and sustaining school systems that honor and support the social, emotional, mental health and well-being of its members. Rafaela is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, holds a Masters of Public Administration in Social Welfare Policy, a certificate in Educational Administration and is certified as a Professional Educational Staff Associate in Social Work.

Zoe Tapp is the Program and Evaluation Coordinator 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. 

Dr. Elaine Walsh is an Associate 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.