Twice the Director: Dr. Keith Schaefer on Missouri’s Mental Health Evolution

Twice the Director: Dr. Keith Schaefer on Missouri’s Mental Health Evolution

Missouri’s two-time Department of Mental Health director, Dr. Keith Schaefer, joins the Show Me State of Mind podcast to reflect on his career, leadership lessons, and the people he mentored. The episode covers major policy shifts—Medicaid waivers, community-based services, liaison programs, and emergency response in Joplin—along with practical insights on governance, provider partnerships, and improving care for vulnerable Missourians.

Leadership, Integration & the Future of Behavioral Health — A Conversation with Linda Rosenberg

Brent McGinty interviews Linda Rosenberg about her journey from direct clinical work to leading the National Council, the creation and growth of CCBHCs, and the national push for integration, Mental Health First Aid, and better treatment parity. The episode highlights partnerships with Missouri leaders, the role of policy and technology in care delivery, and practical advice for providers navigating funding, Medicaid, and evolving clinical and administrative tools.

Capital City Race: Honoring a Friend, Fighting Stigma, Building Community

In this episode, Matt Chinn shares his candid journey from addiction and a life-changing moment in jail to sobriety, running, and advocacy. He describes the 20-mile-a-day February challenge that raised funds for his friend Jared Palmer’s treatment and how that effort grew into the annual Capital City Race to promote mental health awareness and recovery support. Matt explains how running helped silence the “noise” of addiction, the importance of community and grace, and how the race supports local treatment courts, Valley Hope, and families affected by substance use and suicide. Learn about the event (5K/10K/half marathon) held at the Missouri Capitol and how listeners can get involved.

From Emergency Psychiatry to System Reform: Dr. Joe Parks’ Journey

Brent McGinty interviews Dr. Joe Parks about his journey from emergency psychiatry and state hospital work to leadership roles at the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Missouri Medicaid, and the National Council for Mental Well-Being. The episode highlights major reforms, tobacco-free hospitals, integrated care grants, Health Home and CCBHC initiatives, data-driven population health, and the power of cross-sector partnerships and leadership to change systems.

The Work Behind the Work: Dorn Shuffman & Rachelle Glavin on Health Homes, Data, and Doing It Right

In this episode, Brent sits down with Dorn Shuffman to revisit the people, decisions, and pressures that shaped the last two decades of mental health policy in Missouri. Dorn shares stories from the early days of state government, the importance of the Missouri Mental Health Commission, and the challenges of navigating political and budget headwinds while keeping the focus on Missourians served. Then Rachelle Glavin joins the conversation to highlight the behind-the-scenes work that built Health Homes: transitioning nurse liaisons, learning hard lessons about workload and data integrity, and evolving from Excel files to integrated reporting. The result is a candid look at how Missouri turned big ideas into real-world systems change.