Colleen Carr, director for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance) at EDC, brings nearly two decades of public health experience to leading the nation’s public-private partnership for suicide prevention charged with advancing the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Current key Action Alliance national initiatives include efforts to transform health systems to reduce suicide, strengthen community-based suicide prevention, and change the public conversation about suicide and suicide prevention.
In her role as director, Carr cultivates partnerships to bring new, nontraditional partners to suicide prevention, including federal and private sector leaders from diverse industries such as business, defense, entertainment, faith, health care, insurance, news media, public safety, transportation, and veteran services.
Carr brings high-level expertise in suicide prevention, policy analysis, system-level change, strategic communications, and media relations. Prior to joining EDC, Carr worked with the Massachusetts/Rhode Island Poison Control Center at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Carr holds an MPH from Boston University and a BA in Public Policy Analysis from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.