Advocates

Denise Schatt-Denslow, Executive Director /Co-Founder

A business and technical professional whose life experience led to Co-Founding The JEM Foundation whose mission is to prevent youth suicide. Denise lost to her son to suicide and faced many obstacles getting her son Jake basic mental health care. Due to that struggle, Denise and her husband Ben created The JEM Foundation and the Arizona Coalition for Insurance Parity (ACIP). ACIP's focus is to enact state legislation to ensure that health insurance companies cannot discriminate between physical health and mental health.  Her passion is to end the epidemic of suicide and educate the public about suicide prevention and awareness, provide individual and family support, and end the ignorance that many with mental illness face every day.

Ben and Denise understand that parenting a child that struggles with mental illness can be challenging, they created FITT (Families in This Together), a parent support group for parents with children with mental illness to find support from JEM and each other.

Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor. QPR, MHFA & ASIST certified.  Trained in Signs of Suicide prevention curriculum.  Denise has a background in Information Technology, a Bachelors in Business Systems Analysis, and a Masters in World Religions/Theology.

Ben Denslow, Associate Director/Co-Founder

Blessed, proud father of two and stepfather of two. Ben married his best friend three years ago and he is an AZ native.  He has nearly 30 years experience in the banking industry.  Passions include animals, woodworking, gardening and driving legislative changes to improve mental health care. After losing his stepson Jake to suicide in 2016, he vowed to make change happen so no other family would have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to suicide. Together we can bring an end to the epidemic of suicide. Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor. QPR, MHFA & ASIST certified. Trained in Signs of Suicide prevention curriculum.

Carly Fleege, Volunteer Lobbyist

Carly is a passionate public affairs professional with a range of government, community and media relations experience. After obtaining a Master’s Degree in Public Policy, she spent three years with the Arizona Department of Administration as the legislative liaison and public information officer.

Katie Parity, Youth Ambassador

Katie Parity is part of the Denslow clan and adopted us when she was 1. She is a vital part of the family and she does her best to run the show. She loves kids and will help us educate everyone on parity, mental health, and youth suicide prevention. She's cute, classy, and sassy so stay tuned for some fun antics.

Shannon Amsbury, Member of the Board

My name is Shannon Amsbury.  Even though I was born in California I grew up in the cold, snowy Midwest with my 9 brothers and sisters; military life.  Coming from a large family has been a gift and a blessing.  I am fortunate that my family is very, very close and we genuinely like each other.

I have lived in several states but moved to Arizona in 2012 to escape the cold.  I love the sun!  I also love to read in my spare time and hope to travel in the future.  I have 2 sons; Sean, 27 and Michael, 31.  We lost Sean to suicide on October 4, 2016, and continue to heal on a daily basis.  As time goes by I hope to help raise awareness for suicide prevention and provide support for those affected by suicide loss.

Larry Schatt, Member of the Board

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Larry and his son and daughter came to Arizona in 1986. Larry has been engaged in helping our youth for the past 30 years, at church, in local community organizations, and as a teacher. In 2016, Larry lost his grandson to suicide. He is proud to serve on the JEM board, to help bring awareness to the tragedies of depression and suicide. Larry has been happily married for 28 years. As an ordained minister, he works as a board-certified chaplain and pastoral counselor. Larry loves to read, listen to old jazz, and spend time with his wife.

Marie Schatt, Member of the Board

Marie is the proud mother of one and the grandmother of four. She came to Arizona in 1987. In 2016, Marie lost her step-grandson to suicide. Marie has been married for 28 years and works as an RN/certified case manager. As a registered nurse, she brings a wealth of medical knowledge to JEM. She is determined to help bring depression and suicide into the light so those that are fighting depression can get the help they need. Her hobbies, are reading, cooking and spending time with her husband and dog Cooper.

Jess Engs, Social Media/Marketing Volunteer

Jessica was born and raised in Los Angeles, received her bachelor's degree in television and film from Syracuse University, and currently resides in Austin, Texas, working at a marketing agency. She loves spending time outdoors, hiking, paddleboarding, or swimming in watering holes around Texas. She is a mental health advocate and is proud to work with the JEM Foundation to spread awareness through social media.