MoDMH-Office of the Director

Missouri Mental Health Commission

Mental Health Commission statement: A Moment of Opportunity

The Mental Health Commission, composed of seven members, appoints the director of the Department of Mental Health with confirmation by the state Senate. Commissioners are appointed to four-year terms by the Governor, again with the confirmation of the Senate. The commissioners serve as principle policy advisors to the department director.

The Commission, by law, must include an advocate of community mental health services, a physician who is an expert in the treatment of mental illness, a physician concerned with developmental disabilities, a member with business expertise, an advocate of substance abuse treatment, a citizen who represents the interests of consumers of psychiatric services, and a citizen who represents the interests of consumers of developmental disabilities services. E-mail the Commissioners at MHCommission@dmh.mo.gov.

dittemore

Ron Dittemore, Ed.D., St. Joseph, is a mental health consultant. Dr. Dittemore holds a bachelor's degree from Northwest Missouri State University, a master's in guidance and counseling from Northwest Missouri State University and a doctorate in education administration from Western Colorado University. Dittemore served as the interim department director from July 1, 2006 to January 31, 2007.

Beth Viviano, Mental Health Commission Member

Beth L. Viviano, Fenton, is a long time children's advocate, she co-chaired the Stakeholders Advisory Committee which was formed to create the Comprehensive Children's Health Care System. In 2004 she was appointed to the Children's Services Commission Subcommittee on Mental Health which resulted in passage of the Comprehensive Children's Mental Health Reform Bill. Viviano currently serves on the Missouri Family Trust Board which helps families provide long term care for their disabled children; and she is co-founder of the St. Louis Attachment Network, a support group for families and professionals dealing with children, either adopted or foster, with Reactive Attachment Disorder and other related mental disorders.

Phillip McClendon, Joplin, is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Church in Joplin and presently serves on the Ozark Center Advisory Board of Director, and Community Blood Center of the Ozarks Advisory Council. He is also a member of the Christians for World Peace and has served as president of the Pastor's Conference of the Missouri Baptist Convention and Chaplin at the V.A. Hospital in Big Springs, Texas. Reverend McClendon is the Spiritual Director for a methamphetamine group called God's Awesome Power. Reverend McClendon is a frequent visitor to the Middle East, delivering medicines and Bibles each year to the Holy Land, as well as to Minsk Belarus, Russia. He also serves as an advisor to the Bethlehem Bible College in Bethlehem, Israel.

Patricia Bolster

Patricia J. Bolster, M.D.,St. Louis, is an obstetric anesthesiologist with Obstetrical Anesthesia Associates. She earned a bachelor's degree in biology and a doctorate of medicine from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. Dr. Bolster has served as Chief Resident in Anesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital; Clinical Assistant at Massachusetts General Hospital; Staff Anesthesiologist and Director of Obstetric Anesthesia, St. Mary's Hospital-St. Louis; Clinical Instructor, Department of Anesthesia-St. Louis University, and Staff Anesthesiologist, St. John's Mercy Medical Center-St. Louis.

Kathy A. Carter, Four Seasons, Mo., served as the president/CEO of the Missouri Coalition of Community Mental Health Centers (MCCMHC) for 26 years until her retirement in December 2005. She also served as director of public affairs for the Missouri Association for Mental Health and president of the Jasper County Mental Health Association in Carthage. An active volunteer on behalf of people with mental illnesses, Carter is the recipient of numerous honors, including state and national Mental Health Volunteer of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Awards from various organizations, and the Eternal Flame of Hope Award from the Department of Mental Health's Division of Comprehensive Psychiatric Services. In 2005, the MCCMHC cited Carter as "The single most constant and influential force in the promotion of community mental health in the state of Missouri."

David Vlach, M.D.

David L. Vlach, M.D., Kansas City, is in private practice, focusing on forensic cases, disability evaluations, and works with the Missouri Department of Corrections. He is Board Certified, General Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and has a wealth of knowledge in public mental health systems. After working for Northwest MO Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center and Western MO Mental Health Center, he was a staff psychiatrist at Little Rock Air Force Base.

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Joann Leykam is a long time mental health advocate. Joann currently serves as Chief Civil Attorney for the County of St. Charles and is responsible for civil litigation for the county and the 19 departments, boards and commissions. Joann has served as Acting DMH Director, Division Director of MRDD and General Counsel for the Department. She also served as Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri. Joan has served on various boards of directors including the St. Patrick Center, Life Skills Foundation and Resource Board of St. Charles County.

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