Nicole Aune, MPH

Nicole Aune, MPH is the Policy and Cessation Program Manager with the Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program within the Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Bureau. In her position, she oversees statewide efforts to promote and implement local and state policies that aim to reduce initiation of commercial tobacco product use among youth, encourage people who currently use tobacco products to quit, and protect nonusers from secondhand smoke and e-cigarette aerosol exposure. Nicole grew up in Bozeman, Montana and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Montana. She received her Master’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in Community and Behavioral Health from the Colorado School of Public Health. In her free time, Nicole enjoys reading, kayaking, baking, and spending time with her husband and two tenacious daughters.

Jennifer Schoffer Closson, Ed D, CCC-SLP

Dr. Jennifer Schoffer Closson is a practicing speech-language pathologist and holds a doctorate in special education.  She specializes in services for autism and neurodiverse learners with a focus on evidence-based practices and positive behavior supports.  Dr. Schoffer Closson is an associate clinical professor in the Speech, Language, Hearing, and Occupational Sciences department at the University of Montana.  She is currently the chair of the state Special Education Advisory Panel for the Montana Office of Public Instruction, past president of the Montana Speech-Language Hearing Association, and Owner/Member of YETI Consulting LLC.

Meg Denny

Meg is a first year doctoral student at the University of Montana with the RISE Research Lab. Her interests center on strengthening interventions for youth who have experienced trauma and ending the cycle of violence. She has worked with families and youth in a wide variety of settings, including schools, housing/residential shelters, and the court system.

Jordan Friend, MPH

Jordan Friend, a Public Health Analyst specializing in the Overdose Response Strategy in Montana, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the forefront of public health initiatives. With a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a background in Cultural Anthropology, Jordan has been instrumental in shaping and implementing comprehensive public health programs.

Currently serving as a Public Health Analyst for the Overdose Response Strategy at the CDC Foundation in Montana, Jordan's career path has been defined by a series of impactful roles. From spearheading outreach and quality improvement initiatives at the Montana WIC Program to assuming the role of Public Health Officer in Powell County, Montana, Jordan's work has consistently focused on improving community health outcomes.

Jordan has delivered impactful talks at national conferences and workshops, sharing insights on leveraging data for targeted outreach, telehealth responses to the opioid crisis, and evaluating public health interventions.

Betty Gion, M. Ed.

Betty Gion has been in the field of education for over 40 years. Earned a Bachelor's of Science degree from North Dakota State University. Taught high school math and science for 16 years. From Montana State University received a Masters of Education degree encompassing Mental Health, Family & Marriage Therapy and School Counseling. Employed as a school counselor for 24 years. Private, Tribal, Alternative, Public and Border schools have given her a wide range of experiences in behavioral health within schools and communities.

Benny Ilac

Benny received a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Washington and is currently a second year doctoral student at the University of Montana. Benny's research interests are on the role of social support as a protective factor against minority stress for LGBTQ+ individuals. He currently serves as a group facilitator for the Transgender, Intersex, and Nonbinary support group at the Western Montana LGBTQ+ Community Center. 

William Janisch

Will Janisch brings over 15 years of combined law enforcement and military experience, establishing a career that spans various roles and responsibilities. He was previously certified as a Peace Officer in the State of Colorado, with prior licensing in North Dakota, Will has demonstrated expertise as a Patrol Sergeant, Deputy Sheriff, Police Officer, Evidence Custodian, Evidence Technician, Correctional Officer, Emergency Medical Dispatcher, and Emergency Medical Responder. Their military background as a Human Intelligence Collector in the U.S. Army Reserve, with a deployment to Iraq, further contributes to their extensive skill set. 

Currently serving as a Drug Intelligence Officer with the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation, Will plays a pivotal role in the Overdose Response Strategy.

Will’s dedication to public safety, combined with a diverse skill set and a commitment to ongoing learning, positions them as a valuable expert in the fields of law enforcement.

Lilli Nicholson

Lilli was born and raised in Mt. Holly, NC. She taught in Charlotte for four years before moving to Montana. Lilli has taught in Montana for nine years, the last eight being in Lame Deer, Montana. Currently, she is transitioning from an elementary classroom teacher to being a school counselor. When the school began implementing trauma informed and restorative justice practices around 2019, she realized then that she wanted to go into school counseling. Lilli enjoys photography, video games, crochet, reading, and walking the dogs. Lilli has a dog and a cat named Max and Mojo.  Lilli is very close with my family and friends in Montana and back in North Carolina. 

Lame Deer is part of the Northern Cheyenne reservation, one of several reservations in Montana. Lilli feels lucky and blessed to have been accepted in the community and to call this place home.

Hillary Powell, PhD

Dr. Hillary Powell is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Montana. Her ongoing lines of research focus on mechanisms of risk and resilience that affect gender and sexual minority (GSM) individuals’ well-being across the lifespan, with a particular emphasis on the intersections of aging and rural identity. Hillary maintains a clinical practice that focuses on affirmative practices with GSM individuals and couples, as well as evidence-based interventions for depression, anxiety, insomnia, and rumination. She is a proud graduate of the University of Montana, and has previously worked at the University of New England’s Department of Psychology and served as a grant consultant for youth caregiving services in the state of Hawai’i. Hillary’s co-presenters include Meg Denny and Bennett Ilac, both doctoral students in clinical psychology at the University of Montana with backgrounds in family adversity and LGBTQ health disparities.

Karl Rosston, MSW, LCSW

Karl Rosston, MSW, LCSW, is the Suicide Prevention Coordinator for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.  He provides evidenced-based programs to all Montana secondary schools, implements the State Suicide Prevention Plan, supports the Montana Suicide Prevention Lifeline, implements firearm safety programs and statewide media campaigns, provides suicide prevention trainings, and coordinates suicide prevention efforts around the state. Karl is adjunct faculty at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy and a nationally certified trainer in QPR and Mental Health First Aid.

Previously, Karl was the Director of Social Services at Shodair Children’s Hospital in Helena.  Before returning to Montana, he was on the faculty of the University of Colorado, School of Medicine, and a clinical consultant with the Colorado Division of Youth Corrections.

He is a licensed clinical social worker who maintains a small private practice in Helena.  He received his Master’s in Social Work from the University of Denver and his Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Montana.

Heather Zaluski, MD

Dr. Heather Zaluski is a Board-Certified Child Psychiatrist who specializes in the evaluation and treatment of complex mental health disorders in children and adolescents.  Dr. Zaluski attended Medical School at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine and graduated with Honors in 2002.  She completed her 5-year residency and fellowship program at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and then moved to Montana with her family.  Dr. Zaluski worked at Shodair Children’s Hospital for 15 years in the Acute, Residential and Outpatient settings, and was the Medical Director from December 2019 - July 2022.  

Currently, Dr. Zaluski is in private practice at Big River Psychology in Helena, MT.  Her professional focus is on providing clinical consultations for complex cases.  She also authors continuing education content, provides expert witness testimony, and collaborates with primary care providers. 

In her free time, Dr. Zaluski enjoys travel, spending time with her husband and children, yoga, snorkeling and scuba diving, cooking, birding, rock hounding and quilting.