Codie Garza

Codie Marie Garza is the Suicide Prevention Program Manager at the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. She is the Washington State Team Lead for the Governor’s Challenge and serves as the co-chair for the Suicide-Safer Homes Task Force, a collaborative task force dedicated to improving lethal means safety statewide. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Social Action in 2013 from Palo Alto University and her Master’s degree in Public Health with an emphasis on Social and Behavioral Health in 2017 from University of Hawaii at Manoa. She has a wide variety of social/behavioral health experience including research in psycholinguistics and treatment for depression and other mood disorders as well as public health programing for substance use and violence prevention. She has published scientific articles on substance use and public health surveillance. Codie is a spouse of an active-duty US Army soldier of 10+ years, currently stationed in Washington State. Her passion to end SMVF suicide comes from her spouse losing too many fellow soldiers to suicide.