Our Mission

The Missouri Opioid State Targeted Response (STR) and Missouri State Opioid Response (SOR) projects are expanding access to integrated prevention, treatment, recovery support, and harm reduction services for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) throughout the state. The State of Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH) is leading the project, with administration, implementation, and evaluation activities provided by the University of Missouri, St. Louis – Missouri Institute of Mental Health (UMSL-MIMH), as well as healthcare agencies, academic institutions, and content experts throughout the state.

Grant Goals

The prevention grant goals are to promote opioid-related primary prevention in schools and communities, lead chronic pain management education for providers, and to provide increased access to harm reduction services such as overdose education and naloxone distribution.

The treatment grant goals are to recruit, train, and support providers for the delivery of medication treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), to provide medication treatment for uninsured individuals with OUD that uses a chronic disease management model, to supply hospital-based screening, treatment induction, and connection with community care in the St. Louis area, with statewide expansion, and to increase access to telemedicine for OUD treatment.

The recovery grant goals are to support safe and effective recovery housing, build the workforce of certified peer specialists to help individuals meet their recovery goals, and promote wellness and recovery through recovery community centers in high-need areas. This will reduce stigma and provide information, engagement, and support for long-term recovery.

UMSL – MIMH Missouri Opioid STR/SOR Team

Rachel Winograd, Ph.D.
Project Director

Brittany Blanchard, MPH, RN
Evaluation Coordinator

Bridget Coffey, M.A., MSW
Resource Specialist

Jamela Jones, B.S.P.
Overdose Prevention Specialist, SOR, UMSL-MIMH

Kim Probst, LCSW
Director of Improving Systems of Care 

Paul Thater
Treatement Data Manager

Lauren Green, MSW
Harm Reduction Program Manager

Rithvik Kondai, B.A.
Senior Overdose Prevention Coordinator

Keith Eldridge, B.S.
Computer Science

Lindsey Kon, MSW
Recovery Services and Research Coordinator

Morgan Farnworth, MA, Ph.D.,
Assistant Research Professor

Nico Ruiz, BA, CPS
Project Coordinator