My name is Cody Ingle, and I am a Bloomberg Fellow and the Senior Research and Evaluation Specialist at Lost&Found, a Sioux Falls, South Dakota–based nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention. We know that LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit people face disproportionately high rates of suicide, and that South Dakota lacks sufficient data on this community—something we are working hard to change. In my role, I collaborate with partners across the state to use data to tell the stories of how suicide prevention programs are impacting the communities they serve. At Lost&Found, my colleagues and I monitor emerging evidence and trends in mental health and suicide prevention to guide our work, focusing on identifying both the strengths and the gaps in existing systems. I am proud to serve as the principal investigator for South Dakota’s Inclusive Care Collaborative, an innovative project designed to improve the overall health and mental health care experiences of queer people in the state. As a queer person leading queer-focused research in South Dakota, this work is deeply meaningful to me; I understand firsthand how essential affirming mental health care is for individuals who may feel isolated from their broader community. Through the connections and expertise I have gained as a Bloomberg Fellow, I now have the skills and network needed to deliver more equitable, data-driven, and resilience-focused services for youth and young adults across all of South Dakota’s communities.
