Keynote speaker: Melesa Love, LCSW, IMHM-C, PMH-C
With more than 25 years of clinical experience walking alongside infants, young children, and their families, Melesa brings a wealth of wisdom grounded in relationship-based practice and early relational health. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional, and endorsed Infant Mental Health Mentor-Clinical, she brings deep expertise to the intersections of perinatal mental health, complex trauma, and relational wellness. Through her practice, Melesa Love Therapy Services in Middle Tennessee, and her work as a Reflective Supervisor Consultant at both state and national levels, Melesa partners with providers, leaders, and organizations across the early childhood field to advance maternal mental health outcomes and strengthen the relational foundations that babies and families deserve. We are honored to welcome her to this year's conference.
Keynote speaker: Darneshia Allen
We are also delighted to welcome Darneshia Allen, Training and Technical Assistance Integration Manager with Safe Babies, a program of ZERO TO THREE. With more than 30 years of experience working with young children and families and over 16 years of continuous leadership within ZERO TO THREE, Darneshia has been a steadfast champion for the safety, well-being, and relational health of infants and toddlers navigating adversity. Her roots in deep community engagement with urban families, combined with her national reach supporting states and sites in implementing the Safe Babies approach, give her a perspective that is both grounded and expansive. Across child welfare, dependency courts, early care and education, and infant and early childhood mental health, Darneshia brings the kind of insight and authenticity that comes from years spent in genuine partnership with families and communities. We are so glad she will be with us this fall
Melody Boling, MSW, ACSW, LCSW IMH-E®
Early Childhood Wellness Coordinator
Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH)
Katie Epema, IECMH-E®
Katie Epema has more than twenty years of experience supporting the developmental and emotional well-being of infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their parents as a preschool teacher and home visitor. She also served as a Parents as Teachers program supervisor for nearly a decade before being appointed Director of School-Based Mental Health at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). In this role Katie oversees the Trauma-Informed Schools initiative and supports youth suicide awareness and prevention efforts and school social workers. Katie holds a bachelor of social work degree and a master of education in neuroscience and trauma and recently earned both her Infant and Early Childhood Family Associate endorsements. She is grateful for every opportunity that has allowed her to share her passion for supporting both adult and child well-being.
Kim Hawley, LMSW
Kim Hawley, LMSW, is a perinatal therapist and the founder and president of Whole Parent Foundation, a Kansas City-based nonprofit dedicated to providing free mental health support for all parents. She serves on the Missouri Maternal-Child Learning Action Network's Core Team and served on the Missouri PQC task force that created the first guidelines for postpartum care in the state. She is the Postpartum Support International (PSI) State Lead Coordinator for Missouri and is a PSI national specialized coordinator for preeclampsia and long-term health conditions. Kim was recently a Nonprofit State Policy Fellow with the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. She has spoken about parental mental health for organizations including the Missouri Hospital Association, St. Luke's Health System, Parents as Teachers, and Mental Health KC.
Taylor Kehr, LCSW
Taylor Kehr is a Clinically Licensed Social Worker and Clinical Program Manager for Futures First's maternal mental health programs, including Moving Beyond Depression and Perinatal Outpatient Services. With more than 12 years of experience in infant and early childhood mental health, Taylor has worked across home visiting, early intervention, school-based, and outpatient settings supporting children, caregivers, and families. Her passion for perinatal mental health is informed by both her professional experience and her personal journey through postpartum depression, which deepened her commitment to ensuring that parents have access to compassionate, effective mental health support during the transition to parenthood. Through her work, she advocates for accessible, trauma-informed mental health services that promote resilience, healthy relationships, while working to reduce the stigma surrounding perinatal mental health through education, awareness, and compassionate care.
Shelley Mayse, LSCSW, IMH-E®
Infant Mental Health Mentor - Clinical
Shelley Mayse is currently in private practice and provides clinical consultation and reflective supervision to individuals and home visiting programs. Shelley has over 25 years’ experience working with children and families in a variety of settings: early childhood mental health, schools, hospice, and community mental health. She is a trained Life Coach, Infant Massage instructor, and Clinical Infant Mental Health Mentor. She is a Past President of the Kansas Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Assoc (KAIMH) and an active member of the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health. She is a founding board member of the Missouri Assoc. for Infant Mental Health (MOAIMH-EC). Shelley is a national practice leader who has worked with many professionals across the early childhood system in both Missouri and Kansas. She has presented on reflective practice and supervision at many state and national conferences. Shelley enjoys providing Reflective Supervision for individuals and groups and is passionate about using expressive art experiences to facilitate positive growth and transform the way we understand ourselves and the work we do.
Denise McDrummond, M.Ed., IECMH-E®
Denise McDrummond serves as Executive Director of the Missouri Association for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (MOAIMH-EC). An Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health-Endorsed® professional and Reflective Supervisor, Denise brings more than two decades of experience supporting young children, families, and the professionals who care for them. Her work has included roles as an early childhood educator, coach, trainer, foster parent, and leader in infant and early childhood mental health systems.
Denise is passionate about the power of relationships to create change and believes that what we offer children must also be offered to the adults who support them. Through reflective practice, leadership development, and workforce support, she works to strengthen the systems that help children and families thrive.
Diana Perry, MA IMH-E®
Diana has worked with infants and toddlers for over 18 years. She has a Master’s degree in guidance and counseling. She has experience as an elementary school guidance counselor, parent educator with Parents as Teachers, and a service coordinator with Missouri First Steps. She has been the Director of Missouri First Steps in the Greater KC region since 2017. Diana currently serves on the board, the Executive Committee, and is the Chair of the Endorsement Committee for the Missouri Association for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. She is endorsed as an Infant Family Specialist and also serves as an Endorsed Reflective Supervisor. She is passionate about helping build relationships for families and all those who work with children, prenatal through age 5.
Sommer Rose
Sommer Rose is a Manager for the Promise 1000 - Home Visiting Collective, a multi-model Collective Impact (CI) approach to early childhood home visiting, and for the Child Adversity Research Program at Children’s Mercy Hospital. She is responsible for Promise 1000’s general management, evaluation, quality improvement practices, professional development training for home visitation, database/referral system/data management and analysis. She also provides technical assistance and data consultation to Missouri state partners and four other CI sites across Missouri. Sommer has specialized experience and education in research, evaluation, and program management with a focus on early childhood, home visiting and social service programs. Sommer has been providing grant level oversight for the Promise 1000 Moving Beyond Depression program for almost 9 years.
Bre-Ann Slay, psyD lp iECmh-e®
Dr. Slay is an Endorsed Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist and Reflective Supervisor specializing in infant and early childhood mental health, child welfare, and diagnostic assessment. She is rostered in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and Iowa Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and serves as an Iowa PCIT trainer. Her work is grounded in a passion for strengthening relationships, supporting professional growth, and advancing quality services for children and families.
In addition to her clinical work, Bre-Ann serves as the Endorsement Coordinator for MOAIMH-EC. She enjoys bringing together creativity and organization, using both big-picture thinking and practical problem-solving to support systems, streamline processes, and create meaningful learning experiences. Whether mapping out a new initiative, designing resources, or supporting workforce development efforts, she is driven by a commitment to helping people feel supported, connected, and successful in their work.
Amy THompson, LCSW ECMH-E®
Amy Thompson is a licensed clinical social worker with more than 25 years of experience with children, adolescents and adults. She graduated with her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas. She has provided in-office counseling in non-profit and private settings and finds she most enjoys early childhood mental health, working with Head Start programs and private child care centers. She recently received her endorsements for Early Childhood Family Specialist and Emerging Reflective Supervisor. Amy’s passion for overall wellness of mind, body, and spirit fuels her desire to offer workshops on wellness for teachers, caregivers, ministry leaders and clergy. She is the founder of Cultivating Potential, LLC, a therapy, consultation and coaching business focused on helping children and adults live into the fullness of life. In her free time, Amy enjoys fly fishing, hiking, reading and watching KU basketball (Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, Go KU).
Jeannie Thurston, MS LPC
Jeannie Thurston is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She joined the Trauma Smart team in 2013. She has over 12 years of experience working with children, adults, and families. Her experiences include working in mental health, substance abuse, community education and counseling. She has a passion for increasing caregiver’s knowledge of the impact of trauma on individuals through education and clinical services. She is currently serving as a trainer and consultant for the Trauma Smart program.
Michele Utt, MPA IMH-E®
Michele currently serves as the Community Coordinator for Missouri’s first Safe Babies Court Team site in Kansas City. She earned a bachelor’s degree in child and Family Development and a master’s in public administration. Michele is endorsed in Infant Mental Health through the Missouri Association for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and also serves as an Endorsed Reflective Supervisor. She is currently working towards her certification in IECMH Consultation through Georgetown University. Michele adores all things “babies”. She loves spending time with her family and has been blessed with her first granddaughter whom she cherishes every moment the opportunity
presents itself.
Joe Wilner, LCP, BCC, ADHD-CCSP
Joe Wilner is a licensed clinical psychotherapist, board-certified coach, ADHD-Certified Clinical Services Provider, and Certified Trauma and Resilience Practitioner based in Overland Park, Kansas. He holds a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from the University of Saint Mary and a Master's in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Management and Leadership from Baker University. His private practice focuses on ADHD, burnout, career counseling, and supporting adults navigating the gap between high functioning and genuine wellbeing, a profile he encounters regularly among mental health professionals themselves. He holds formal training in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, has completed certification as a meditation instructor, and served on the advisory board of the American Institute of Health Care Professionals. Beyond his clinical work, Joe teaches psychology as an online faculty member at Southern New Hampshire University and regularly leads trainings and seminars on mental health and professional development, drawing on insights from psychology, leadership, and mindfulness to support both individuals and organizations.