Born and raised in Turkey, Benek Altayli, PsyD completed her doctorate in clinical psychology in the States. She was hired as the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) Director of Mental Health Services in 2008. Since then, one of her focus areas has been suicide prevention, intervention and treatment of behavioral emergencies and crises as a psychologist. Currently Benek is the Executive Director of the UCCS Wellness Center, an integrated care clinic that meets the health, mental health, chiropractic, PT and massage therapy needs of UCCS students and community members. She also has a small private practice in Colorado Springs, is the Higher Education Commissioner in the state Suicide Prevention Commission, and is a member of the El Paso County Suicide Prevention Collaborative. In all of the public service, clinical and administrative roles, she tries to keep the focus on suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.
