Natalie Cook is a motivated and goal-oriented leader focusing on new and innovative behavioral health treatment models. Ms. Cook brings over 20 years of experience to OPEN MINDS as an Advisory Board Member.

In addition to her work with OPEN MINDS, Ms. Cook is the Director of Prevention and Recovery for The Missouri Coalition for Community Behavioral Healthcare. In this position, Ms. Cook provides an increased focus on the development of prevention and recovery services for the Missouri behavioral health provider system, including substance use disorder treatment, overdose prevention, suicide prevention, peer and recovery services, and housing and employment services. Before becoming Director of Prevention and Recovery, Ms. Cook was the Healthcare Transformation Manager, where she lead the planning of health home expansion to substance use disorder treatment providers and built off the success of the community mental health center healthcare homes.

Previously Ms. Cook was the Manager of Integrated Care for The Missouri Department of Mental Health. In this position, Ms. Cook was tasked with overseeing Missouri’s Community Mental Health Center Healthcare Home Initiative, Disease Management programs, Crisis services, and Emergency Room Diversion project. In her tenure at The Missouri Department of Mental Health, Ms. Cook also held the positions of Compliance and Systems Management Coordinator, Community Operations and Policy Specialist, and  Quality Assurance Specialist.

Prior to her work at The Missouri Department of Mental Health, Ms. Cook was a Community Support Supervisor for The Ozark Center in Joplin, Missouri. In this role, Ms. Cook supervised seven Community Support Specialists in the adult Community Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program and completed comprehensive assessments and treatment plans for the consumers in the program. Ms. Cook was also a Caseworker for Tanger Place, a children’s human service agency founded in 1879 in Iowa. Additionally, Ms. Cook was a Therapist and Caseworker for Genesee Health Systems.

Ms. Cook graduated from Pittsburg State University with a Master’s Degree in Psychology in 2004 and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Minor in English from the same university in 2001. Ms. Cook is also an Executive Board Member of The Missouri Credentialing Board Inc., where she serves as the representative for the Coalition for Community Behavioral Healthcare.