TO GUIDE MENTAL HEALTH REVENUES
The Platte County Commission has announced the appointment of nine Platte County residents to the newly formed Platte County Mental Health Board. This board will guide the use of dedicated property tax revenues to enhance local mental health and behavioral health services for Platte County residents, following the county’s transition to a standalone mental health program.
The board includes three providers of health care and six representatives of consumers of psychiatric or behavioral health services (or their family members), ensuring a balance of clinical expertise and lived community experience.
Health Care Providers:
Ali Syed, DO is a board-certified psychiatrist and Regional Medical Director for Outpatient Behavioral Health at Mosaic Health System in St. Joseph. He also serves as clinical assistant professor of Psychiatry at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), where he contributes to the education and mentorship of future physicians. Dr. Syed completed his psychiatry residency at the University of Kansas and fellowship training in Public and Community Psychiatry at Columbia University in New York City, where he developed advanced expertise in population health, systems-based care, and mental health equity. In his current leadership role, Dr. Syed oversees outpatient behavioral health services across a rural health system, with a focus on expanding access to high-quality, community-based psychiatric care. He lives with his wife and three children in the Northland.
Carmen McHenry, MA, LPC, is a mental health therapist with 27 years of experience providing individual, family, and group therapy in Platte County and the surrounding Northland. She has experience in a variety of environments, such as an adolescent homeless shelter, domestic violence shelter, residential children’s center, inpatient psychiatric hospital, and outpatient community mental health centers. She now runs a private practice in Liberty, Missouri. Carmen offers professional training to therapists nationally and locally on a variety of mental health topics.
Doug Burgess, MD, is a licensed physician, board-certified in Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry. He has worked almost 15 years in a Community Mental Health Center, providing low barrier care to individuals seeking treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. He currently serves as the Medical Director of Addiction Services at University Health and is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Missouri- Kansas City. Dr. Burgess volunteers with several local and state organizations focused on strategies to expand cost-effective access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Parkville.
Representatives of Consumers of Psychiatric or Behavioral Health Services or Their Families:
Patricia Harris is a devoted wife, mother of two grown daughters, and proud grandmother of three. A retired educator with over thirty years of experience in both private and public schools, she dedicated her career not only to her students but also to mentoring new teachers entering the profession. She served as treasurer of her local teachers’ association for seven years and, as a member of Alpha Upsilon, a chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, sat on the oversight committee for a $2.2 million endowment supporting educational scholarships. She co-founded a children’s church program and later went on to lead her church’s education ministry as its director. Today, she continues to give back by mentoring young women as they navigate life’s challenges, drawing on a lifetime of wisdom, faith, and service.
Neil Getzlow is a 25-year public relations and communications executive. Neil is an advocate for mental health resources and currently leads the Celebrate Recovery ministry at his home church, The Rock of KC. He currently serves on the board of directors for Relentless Pursuit Outreach and Recovery (RPOR) and volunteers as men’s education director for ReHope. His work with both organizations provides opportunity to engage with local law enforcement and the community at-large in combating sex trafficking in the metro area.
Paul Campbell is a dedicated law enforcement leader with over 23 years at the Riverside Police Department, including 10 years as a Patrol Supervisory. He is the agency’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Coordinator, managing program implementation, interagency collaboration, and mental health crisis response. He is an active member of CIT International and serves as Education Chair for the TRI-CIT Council (Clay, Platte, and Ray Counties), planning and instructing semi-annual Basic CIT classes to strengthen regional crisis response capabilities. Paul is a retired Chief Warrant Officer Four after 27 years of U.S. Army Reserve service, including three combat deployments. Military crisis management, team training, and high-pressure decision-making are directly parallel to CIT principles.
Jason Reed has family in the local area and has lived in Platte County, off and on, since 2013. He retired from the U.S. Army as a Lt. Colonel after serving 22 years; worked in military education, tactical operations, and strategic planning. He has a Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University, a Master of Arts from Webster University, and is a doctoral candidate with the University of the Cumberlands. Jason volunteers as needed, with a local charity, teaching employment interview techniques. He is a life-member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a member of the American Legion. Jason currently serves on the Clay-Platte-Ray Mental Health Board and will bring continuity to the new mental health board.
Karen Bartlett is a resident of Platte County with over 40 years of experience in the healthcare sector. She has cultivated a diverse background, operating seamlessly across hospitals, nursing facilities, and private physician practices to serve as a vital liaison for patients, families, and providers. For the past 18 years, Karen has served as the Regional Marketing Director at Health Systems, Inc. She initially joined the organization to spearhead the development of behavioral health services within managed nursing facilities, a role that laid the foundation for her ongoing focus on systems improvement. She is known for her ability to solve problems, bridge gaps between providers, and deliver high-quality resources to those in need.
Suzanne Zimmerman is a co-founder of The Farmer’s House (TFH), a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) in Platte County and surrounding communities. She served as the organization’s volunteer Executive Director for its first ten years, providing hands-on leadership during its critical early development, and later continued her service as board president. Suzanne’s professional background spans financial services, small business ownership, nonprofit leadership, and volunteer board service. She brings expertise in fiscal responsibility and board governance, along with a strong understanding of the gaps in mental health and developmental disability services. Suzanne and her husband, Alan, have lived in Platte City for 25 years, where they raised their three children.
These nine members were selected for their professional expertise, personal experiences, and dedication to improving mental health outcomes in Platte County. The Platte County Mental Health Board will provide guidance on program development, funding priorities, and service delivery to ensure resources effectively address the needs of local residents.
