Dori Marcks
Behavioral Intervention Specialist M.Ed.
Dori is a School Behavioral Consultant for MO-CPAP Schools and is a member of the consultation team. Born and raised in Columbia, Dori is a child of educators. She attended the University of Missouri and has her master’s degree in Early- Childhood/Special Education. Dori has worked with children and families in a variety of settings, both in their homes and in the inpatient mental health setting. She has vast experience with behavioral issues and looks forward to visiting with you. One of her desires is to reduce the stress school staff members feel when dealing with situations daily. Dori enjoys and looks forward to summer trips to Florida with her family and extended family. She also travels with her youngest daughter, who is a competitive dancer.
Lisa Pruitt
School Counselor Consultant M.Ed, PSC
Lisa is a certified K-12 Professional School Counselor with 25 years of experience in public education. She completed her undergraduate work in elementary education and taught 4th grade for two years prior to earning her masters in School Counseling from NW Missouri State Univeristy in Maryville, MO. She is a current member of Missouri School Counselor Association and American School Counselor Association. She is recognized by ASCA as a Mental Health Specialist and has had extensive training and experience in trauma informed practice and crisis management. Throughout her career, she served in regional leadership roles including Middle Level VP for governing board, MSIP school counseling program auditor, and as a mentor to new school counselors.
Maryssa Rook
Outreach Support Specialist M.S.
Hi! My name is Maryssa. I am currently a clinical care coordinator for BHR where I assist with getting clients connected to mental and behavioral health services. I have been with BHR for three years now and have enjoyed every year that I have been with the company. I also am a part of the MO-CPAP schools program and am looking forward to working alongside the amazing people on this team. I graduated with a Bachelors in Psychology and a Masters in Forensic Psychology and now have six years of mental and behavioral health experience involving both adults and adolescents/teens. A fun fact about myself – I was born and raised in Saint Louis, MO but most recently moved to Chicago with my fur-baby Bentley.
Jackie Wardrip
School Nurse Consultant RN, BSN
Jackie was born and raised in Harrisburg Missouri. She was raised by two educators and has always had a passion for working in an educational setting. Jackie has been the district nurse for Harrisburg R-VIII since 2005. As our school nurse clinician, she hopes to help school districts across Missouri by supporting the mental health and well-being needs of our students. Jackie enjoys spending her free time with her family and friends. Her two boys keep her busy with sports and her family loves spending their Sundays cheering on the CHIEFS!
Dr. Ujjwal Ramtekkar
MD, MBA, CPE
Dr. Ramtekkar is a board-certified Adult, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatrist. Dr. Ramtekkar received his education at Washington University in St. Louis and Harvard University. Dr. Ramtekkar has been associated with the MO-CPAP program for primary care providers and was the founding medical director for MO-CPAP in 2018. He is serving as a clinical consultant for the MO-CPAP Schools project. He is a sought-after speaker at professional conferences and is an advocate for equity and dignity in mental health care. Dr. Ramtekkar hopes to change the conversation to focus on prevention, well-being, and early support for our youth, teachers, and school personnel. He has authored multiple professional articles and has a particular interest in telehealth and psychiatry. When he is not working as a physician, he is deeply involved in raising his two children with his wife, who is a pediatric dentist.
Treaka Young
MA, M Ed.
Treaka was born and raised in St. Louis, and lives in Jefferson City with her husband and family. Retiring from the State of Missouri after 20 years of service, Treaka has worked for the University of Missouri since 2018 and is serving as the program manager for the MO-CPAP Schools project. Please contact Treaka for additional information about MO-CPAP Schools and learn how to sign your school district up for this NO COST program! She is most happy when serving others and is an active community member. In her spare time, she is pursuing her Doctorate.
Wendy Ell
OTR/L
Wendy is the Executive Director for MO-CPAP Schools. Wendy was born in Iowa and raised on a farm in rural Illinois. She grew up helping work the farm and loved showing sheep at the county fair. Wendy was exposed to health care in high school and pursued Occupational Therapy as a career. Her first job was providing acute rehabilitation services in the hospital, and she found her true passion in children’s mental healthcare when she started a job at the University of Missouri Psychiatric Center. She is honored to serve as the Executive Director for several projects providing mental and behavioral health care for Missouri’s children and adolescents.
Dr. Melissa Maras
PhD
Melissa earned her PhD in Community Psychology from Miami University in 2008 and completed her internship in Clinical-Community Psychology at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Maras manages a portfolio of applied research and evaluation projects for clients in education, non-profit organizations, government, and business. She is an expert in data management. She enjoys reading, cooking, creating, and learning from her two daughters. Her vision for MO-CPAP Schools is that all schools in our state should have access to high-quality training and technical assistance to improve school mental health regardless of their zip code.
Dr. Toby Mills
LCSW, PhD
Toby was born in St. Louis, and early jobs included babysitting and being a lifeguard. In her free time, Toby enjoys spending time with her two boys, hiking, kayaking, camping, practicing yoga and mindfulness, and seeing live music. In her role as a licensed clinical social worker, she has worked for over 14 years in a variety of healthcare, educational, and clinical settings serving youth and their families. Her goal for MO-CPAP Schools is to provide equitable, effective, and comprehensive mental and behavioral health services to schools throughout Missouri.
Dr. Laine Young-Walker
MD
Dr. Young-Walker is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at the University of Missouri and serves as the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, as well as the Associate Dean for Student Programs, and is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Missouri. Dr. Young-Walker attended the University of Missouri School of Medicine and is board certified in Psychiatry and Neurology in General Psychiatry as well as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She has over 26 years of experience in the medical field and has been published in the Academic Psychiatry, Psychiatric Annals, and School Mental Health journals. Dr. Young-Walker serves the MO-CPAP Schools program as the principal investigator and directs multiple mental and behavioral health programs, including MO-CPAP, MO-CPAP Schools, the Bridge Program, and many others. She has received many awards throughout her career, including awards from the NAACP, academic awards, and leadership awards in Academic Medicine. Dr. Young-Walker works tirelessly to create programs that help children in the community. She believes that using evidence-based therapy in early childhood is very important and will benefit children and families exposed to trauma.