Jerry Reed

Jerry Reed became Director of HHD’s Suicide Prevention Resource Center in July 2008. He oversees the federally funded Center and provides state and local officials, grantees, policymakers, interested stakeholders, and the general public with assistance in developing, implementing, and evaluating programs to prevent suicide. In October 2008, he assumed leadership of HHD’s Center for the Study and Prevention of Injury, Violence, and Suicide, encompassing several additional projects such as the Children’s Safety Network, the National Young Worker Safety Resource Center, and the Suicide Prevention Assessment and Resource Kit project.

Previously, Dr. Reed was Executive Director of the Suicide Prevention Action Network USA, a national nonprofit created to raise awareness, build political will, and call for action in advancing, implementing, and evaluating a national strategy to address suicide. He spent 15 years as a career civil servant working in both Europe and the United States with the Department of the Army developing, implementing, and managing a variety of quality-of-life programs including substance abuse prevention and treatment; family advocacy; child and youth development programs; social services; and a range of morale, welfare and recreation programs. Selected as a Congressional Fellow in 1996, Dr. Reed worked in the Office of Senator Harry Reid (NV), serving as senior advisor on health care, mental health, suicide prevention, and aging issues.

Dr. Reed speaks nationally and internationally on the topic of suicide prevention. His interests include geriatrics, global violence prevention, and public policy. He serves on the Board of the International Association for Suicide Prevention as Chair of the Council of Organizational Representatives.

Dr. Reed received a Ph.D. in Health Related Sciences with an emphasis in Gerontology from the Virginia Commonwealth University. He also received an M.S.W. with an emphasis in Aging Administration and a B.A. from the University of Maryland.