OUR STORY
In August 2019, Michelle and Charlette each walked into an ASIST suicide prevention T4T (training for trainers) with excitement of becoming better equipped to make an impact in the community. Little did they know, it was the beginning of a journey that would change not only their lives, but hopefully many more. A few trainings together and it was clear, these two make a great team. Catching up after the holidays, Charlette and Michelle were looking forward to a dinner date where they were unknowingly planning to share the same ambitious idea. A year later, their initial excitement evolved into a budding business that brings together and fuels both of their passions for creating healthy, equitable, thriving communities.
Towards that end, Incite Agency for Change can provide a wide range of services to support individuals, organizations, and communities. The duo collaborates with others to create growth and change through Suicide Prevention, Education, Public Health Consulting, and Professional Development. Charlette and Michelle are both seasoned and engaging presenters with subject matter expertise on a wide range of topics including suicide and mental health, sexual and relationship violence, alcohol and substance abuse, holistic wellbeing, and more.
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But that’s not the only reason you will love working with this team! You’ll quickly sense their...
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Energy and passion
Thoroughness and attention to detail
Commitment to creating safe spaces
Pledge to professionalism
Standard of excellence for getting the job done
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Charlette and Michelle provide highly individualized services bespoke in nature, with customization baked into the process. Whatever your needs, they’ll strive to meet them. Continue reading for their individual bios and get to know more about Charlette and Michelle, or check out what their partners and clients have to say.
CO-FOUNDER BIOS
Michelle Bangen
MPH, CHES
Michelle Bangen, MPH, CHES is a public health educator and health promotion specialist who has spent the past 15 years developing, implementing, and assessing innovative approaches to prevention and health promotion in higher education, non-profit, and governmental agency settings. Michelle holds a BS in Exercise Science from Miami University (Ohio) and a Masters in Public Health from The Ohio State University. Her work is rooted in public health, feminist, and anti-oppression frameworks, and her true passion and life-long endeavor is building healthy, socially just communities where all people can thrive.
A certified LivingWorks ASIST and SafeTALK, QPR, Youth SAVE, Oregon CALM, soon-to-be CALM America, and One Love trainer, Michelle has also developed evidence-based and nationally award-winning curricula of her own. She had the honor of partnering with the Oregon Health Authority in curriculum development for the adaptation of Counseling on Access to Lethal Means for the State of Oregon, now known as Oregon CALM. She co-led research with young adults in Oregon, and is currently on the development team for adapting the Youth SAVE (Suicide Assessment in Virtual Environments) curriculum for young adults.
She is also a Project Development Specialist for Soteria Solutions, a non-profit that provides research-based approaches to prevent sexual violence and interpersonal harassment as well as strategic planning and evaluation technical assistance to the Office on Violence Against Women campus
grantees. Michelle is currently a Leadership Council Member and the Research Co-Chair for the National Campus Advocates and Prevention Professionals Association (CAPPA), a member of the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Suicide and the Corvallis Community Suicide Prevention Task Force, and is active in committee work for Oregon's Youth and Adult Suicide Intervention and Prevention Plans (YSIPP and ASIPP). She provided leadership in the ASIPP Equity committee, where she contributed to the development a suicide-specific Equity Assessment Tool for the ASIPP; and she continues to provide leadership in the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Suicide's Equity committee, which is now adapting and using the tool for the YSIPP.
Michelle has been honored with an achievement award for demonstrated commitment to gender equity and social justice. Michelle has written and received nearly a million dollars in local and federal grants and foundation dollars, led and supported qualitative and quantitative research projects, authored professional publications, and presented her research and prevention programs nationally. She has served as a subject matter expert to local and national media outlets, and has held leadership roles in local, regional, and national committees, coalitions, and professional organizations.
Some of Michelle’s favorite activities include downhill skiing, waterfall hikes, and river floats with her husband, Kyle, and 12-year-old, Aila. She also enjoys spending time at her sewing machine, hanging out with friends and family, and snuggling on the couch with Nash, their min-pin-weenie terrier!
Charlette Lumby, RN, CCRN has an Associates Nursing degree, worked as an Intensive Care Unit RN at Salem Hospital for 14 years, along with being the Salem Health Injury Prevention Coordinator for the last 7 years where she fulfilled her passion in providing education and resources to our community to promote healthy, safe living, and injury prevention. She now fulfills that passion in her role as Co-founder of Incite Agency for Change and as one of the Trauma Performance Improvement and Patient Safety Coordinators for Salem Health.
Charlette is a certified LivingWorks ASIST and SafeTALK, QPR, YouthSAVE, YouthSAVE for Primary Care, Oregon CALM trainer, and soon-to-be CALM America trainer, having trained a range of audience members with varying roles in the community. She is involved in professional organizations such as AACN (American Association of College of Nursing), ATS (American Trauma Society), is the Co-chair the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Suicide, coalition member and steering committee member of the Marion County Substance Use Prevention Coalition, and coalition member and steering committee member of the Mid-Valley Suicide Prevention Coalition. She was active in committee work for Oregon's Youth and Adult Suicide Intervention and Prevention Plans (YSIPP and ASIPP), including Co-chairing the Transitions of Care Committee for the YSIPP. She recently partnered with the Oregon Health Authority in curriculum development for the adaptation of Counseling on Access to Lethal Means for the State of Oregon, now known as Oregon CALM. She also recently contracted and
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Charlette Lumby
RN, CCRN
completed the curriculum development of the Primary Care adaptation of Youth SAVE (Suicide Assessment in Virtual Environments) as well as current work on a Youth SAVE adaptation for young adults. Charlette has received many awards throughout her career including; Nursing Excellence, Practice and Teaching, and eight-time APEX Recognition recipient for Achieving Professional Excellence.
Charlette has the invaluable lived experience of raising a child, now 21, with medical needs including open heart surgery at age 13, followed by significant and sudden mental health concerns, including suicide ideation and behaviors, time spent in a pediatric psychiatric unit, and methamphetamine and heroin addiction and recovery. She has experienced how difficult those topics can be for families, and how hard it can be to access and navigate resources, education, and assistance for both the child and family.
Charlette loves and values her significant other, James and her daughters, Jordyn (21) and Brooklyn (15), her best friend Michelle and family, and her dog Nola! She finds joy and peace in spending time with close friends and family, animal cuddles, the outdoors, painting and sculpting, building legos, movies, video games, house projects, and doing things that create change for the better in our world!
Outtakes
Professional with a
* pinch * of humor
