Inform USA Member Spotlight
Richard Shutes is a recognized leader in the Community Navigation and Crisis Continuum, bringing 16 years of experience advancing suicide prevention, crisis response, and community-based support systems across North America. His work has helped strengthen and evolve both the 211 network and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline—systems that many Inform USA members operate within or alongside by improving quality, access, and workforce sustainability.
Beyond 211 and 988, Richard has supported national prevention and safety initiatives through collaborations with organizations like Sandy Hook Promise and the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative. This work extends crisis-informed practices into schools, communities, and digital spaces, reinforcing the broader ecosystem that Community Navigation organizations rely on to meet people where they are.
Recognizing the growing workforce challenges facing Community Navigation, crisis, and contact center professionals, Richard launched the nation’s first independent support groups for this workforce. These employer-independent, psychologically safe spaces directly benefit Inform USA members by helping reduce burnout, strengthen peer connection, and support retention in roles that are critical to service continuity and quality.
Richard is also the creator of the Voice of Resiliency Standard, an innovative framework that enables organizations to measure stress, burnout, and workforce risk across teams. For Inform USA members, this provides a practical, data-informed tool to move beyond anecdotal concerns and toward actionable strategies that support staff wellbeing, operational stability, and long-term program resilience.
As a public speaker, Richard brings an authentic and practical voice to conversations around mental health, suicide prevention, and workforce wellness, topics that are central to the daily work of Inform USA members. His national media presence helps elevate the visibility and credibility of the Community Navigation sector as a whole.
With a master’s degree in Counselor Education in Clinical Mental Health and multiple national certifications, Richard bridges frontline experience with systems-level strategy. His work aligns closely with Inform USA’s mission to strengthen standards, build capacity, and support the people behind the work, helping members not only serve communities more effectively, but sustain the workforce that makes that service possible.
If you have any questions for Richard, please reach out directly to him at rshutes001@gmail.com.
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