Mission & Data Driven

Brent McGinty is a leader in the behavioral health field from Jefferson City, Missouri. He studied history and political science at Missouri Southern State University before earning a Master’s in Public Administration at the University of Missouri. Brent originally started a career in local government, taking various positions in Columbia, Mexico, Joplin, and Maysville. A search for more family geographic stability with a new baby on the way led him to stints in the Missouri Senate and Department of Mental Health. While working for the State, Brent was inspired by the mission-driven, collaborative approach at the Missouri Behavioral Health Council. Brent joined the Council team in 2012 as the President/CEO. Brent is driven by the theory that treating the mind and body as one and making quality behavioral healthcare available to all who need it, Missourians will truly thrive.

Chelsea Hughes is a native of the Jefferson City area, currently residing in the beautiful, small town of Bonnots Mill, Missouri. Not venturing far from her roots, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Lincoln University and then went on to earn her Master of Business Administration with an Emphasis in Accounting from Columbia College. While pursuing her degrees, Chelsea worked for a small, privately owned business where she found her passion for accounting. Chelsea then worked for state government for a brief time before realizing she wanted to get back into the private sector. In 2016, Chelsea moved into the role of Director of Administration for the Missouri Behavioral Health Council. While her main role is centered around the Council’s finances, she enjoys taking part in the various other operations and events going on at the Council. Getting to play even a small role in the Council’s mission, and seeing everything come together, is one of the most rewarding parts of the job. When she’s not at work, you can usually find her enjoying life near the Osage River or sitting around a warm campfire with her husband and two children.

Born and raised in Missouri, Katie Horstman grew up in Wardsville and graduated from Lincoln University where she earned her degree in Business Administration. From there she began pursuing a career in service at the Missouri Retired Teachers Association and then joined the Missouri Behavioral Health Council, where she took on the management of the Council’s first annual conference. The Missouri Behavioral Health Conference is a first-class conference that has grown exponentially both in attendance and expert speakers. As the Director of Training and Events, Katie and her team now host several other large conferences and regional events around the state, as well as manage and support evidence-based trainings, trauma and zero suicide learning collaboratives, onsite learnings at the Council’s training facility, and provide continuing education credits. Katie gives her job two enthusiastic thumbs up and enjoys molding the training programs for the Council. Katie and her husband have two daughters and enjoy the farm life in the booming metropolis of New Bloomfield, Missouri.

Tara Crawford is the Director of Health Information from Auxvasse, a rural town in Central Missouri. She earned a master’s in psychology from the University of Central Missouri and has had a strong interest in data since college. Tara’s career in behavioral health started as a community support specialist with a community mental health center in Mexico, Missouri and outreached to individuals in the community about behavioral health services available. Tara gained valuable experience in the field before she moved on to work at the Missouri Department of Mental Health to focus on integrated care programs (Behavioral Healthcare Homes and Disease Management Outreach) and then programs assisting clients who are justice involved. In 2017, Tara took the opportunity to join the Missouri Behavioral Health Council to help develop and manage the new statewide care coordination tool for the behavioral health system. Tara serves as the Director of Health Information which includes overseeing all aspects of the fun technology, data and quality improvement projects that present themselves. Tara also has a lot of fun at home with her husband and their two young, energetic boys.

Kimberly Hicks is from St. Louis, Missouri and traveled around the state before settling in the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks with her husband and two daughters. She has since been blessed with four grandchildren and loves to spend time and spoil them whenever she can. Kimberly has always been energized to work and connect with people, and she quickly discovered that the healthcare field was very rewarding both personally and professionally. She started her career at the University of Missouri and Boone Hospital systems in Columbia. She managed the Jefferson City Free Medical and Dental Clinic for two years which offered free medical, dental, and behavioral health services to low-income families in Cole County. She then expanded to the technology side working for Xerox to support the implementation of Missouri’s Medicaid electronic health record system. In 2013, Kimberly was able to bring her skills and passion to the Missouri Behavioral Health Council as their community integration manager. Here she supports several statewide initiatives including the community mental health liaison (CMHL) positions who work closely with law enforcement and courts to help connect individuals in crisis to appropriate care, and the expansion of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training for law enforcement and established CIT Councils in every county of the state. Kimberly is passionate about her work and is proud to witness the positive impact and difference these initiatives make every day in the lives of Missourians.

Emily Conde is the Professional Education Manager at the Missouri Behavioral Health Council and joined the team in 2017. Emily is originally from St. Louis where she obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from Webster University after an international study abroad in Vienna, Austria. She began her tenure career working for the State of Missouri with the Division of Professional Registration. The administrative duties, knowledge she gained, and network she built made for a smooth transition into her current role at the Council where she manages the continuing education for all trainings and events, as well as the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certification hours for law enforcement provided by qualified mental health professionals. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Mike, and three children, Olivia, Macklin, and Owen in their hometown of Holts Summit, Missouri. One of Emily’s favorite quotes is from Mark Twain: “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”

Drew Burnett is the Quality Improvement Manager at the Missouri Behavioral Health Council. Drew is a Jefferson City native and a graduate of the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutritional Sciences and a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from Lindenwood University. Drew began his healthcare career at Capital Region Medical Center working as an Exercise Specialist and Clerk for Cardiac Rehab and Outpatient Therapies. He then spent six years at Capital Region as a Quality Analyst and the Performance Improvement manager. His work focused on improving population health, organization workflows and working with private and government payors to meet quality measures. After nearly seven years at Capital Region, Drew accepted his current role at the Missouri Behavioral Health Council in January 2021. Outside of work Drew enjoys going to Mizzou games and giving back to the community he grew up in. Most times you can find him on a ballfield or in a gym coaching basketball and baseball or helping run an event. Drew and his wife reside in Jefferson City with their collie, Jasper.

Nicole Lee was born in St. Louis, MO. She attended Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO. where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies, an M.Ed. in Counseling and an Education Specialist degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Nicole is passionate about helping people and making sure she is doing everything she can to spread awareness. She has always trying to figure out ways to better assist people who are in need. Nicole now works as the Zero Suicide Coordinator for the Missouri Suicide Prevention Network / Missouri Behavioral Health Council. Because of personal experiences around the suicide epidemic, she desires to bring awareness and connect with people who have overcome trauma and to empower them to use their voice and tell their stories. When she is not at her full-time job, Nicole works with her husband, who is a Pastor, at their church. She is over the Women’s Ministry, and she serves on the food pantry and Pastoral Leadership teams. Nicole wants to be a role model to her 4 children and 4 grandchildren, so she lives by the scripture, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24).

Kelsey Mengwasser is from a quaint mid-Missouri town called Rich Fountain. She went to high school at Fatima High School where she excelled in academics while volunteering for S.A.D.D (Students Against Drunk Driving). She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Rockhurst University in Kansas City. After graduating, Kelsey knew she wanted to make an impact in people’s lives by helping and caring for others. She moved back to her hometown and began working at Little Sprouts Clubhouse as a teacher. While she loved teaching, she wanted to do more with her psychology degree. Now she works as an Administrative Services Coordinator for the Missouri Behavioral Health Council. Her role at the Council gives her the ability to be involved in all aspects of association management and take on a leadership role. She also helps manage meetings by legislative and joint task force committees. Kelsey is excited to learn, watch, and participate in the changes that are to come in mental health. The most rewarding part of the job is getting to be a part of, and to see everyone come together to better mental health. When she is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter in their hometown of Rich Fountain, Missouri.

Nicole is a Jefferson City native who has been in the Administrative field since graduating as an honor roll student from Jefferson City High School. Before joining the Council her previous experience includes a role as an independent contractor with the Cole County Health Department assisting the Epidemiologist with the County’s Emergency Preparedness Plan. This position brought to light the impact that community support organizations can have. She was also impacted by her tenure at Preferred Family Healthcare at the adult facility of Jefferson City. She was inspired by the different levels of treatment and support through the organization and ones similar in her own community. Nicole spent multiple years as an office manager at a locally owned Jefferson City business and thoroughly enjoyed being a part of its growth before deciding to take on the opportunity in joining the Council’s mission. While her post high school education was centered in the health science field, she thrived in being a part of multiple aspects of an organization and excited to be a part of the Missouri Behavioral Council’s vision and growing with it’s commitment to her community.

Taking on a role with the Council has allowed her to feel like she is making a difference in working towards over initiatives in her community. Her role at the Council gives her the ability to be involved in the administrative wheels that turn internally along with other aspects of association management. When she is not at work she enjoys being a busy sports mom alongside her husband and also likes harvesting her garden and being on the water in her kayak.

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn

Information coming soon..