Our Team
Staff
Denise McDrummond, M. Ed., IECMH-E®
Executive Director
Hello! I’m Denise McDrummond and I am privileged to be the Executive Director of MOAIMH-EC! In my role as Executive Director, I have a career dedicated to promoting early relational health for children and families. My journey into infant and early childhood mental health was shaped by both personal and professional experiences, especially my time as a foster parent in Oklahoma. Over four years, my husband, Matt, and I provided a loving home to nearly 30 children. This transformative chapter inspired me to pursue a master’s degree in early childhood special education and earn an Endorsement in Infant Mental Health, cementing my lifelong commitment to supporting children and families.
Through our fostering experience and working closely with families, I saw firsthand the transformative power of nurturing touch. In 2023, I became a certified Educator of Infant Massage, helping families build stronger, more connected relationships through this meaningful practice.
Since 2017, I have had the privilege of supporting hundreds of professionals in advancing their expertise and achieving recognition through Endorsement. My work includes providing reflective supervision, delivering trainings on infant and early childhood mental health, and consulting nationally as part of the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants Collective. As an Endorsement Subject Matter Expert, I’ve been fortunate to guide organizations and professionals in driving impactful change in our field.
Matt and I are active in our faith and enjoy contributing to our community. In my free time, I love reading, baking, and spending quality moments with family and friends. My dedication to fostering connections, both personally and professionally, inspires my work each day as I strive to create meaningful change for children, families, and the communities that support them.
Bre-Ann Slay, PsyD LP IMH-E®
Endorsement Coordinator
Hi, I am Bre-Ann Slay, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Endorsed Infant Mental Health Specialist and Reflective Supervisor (IMH-E®). As the Endorsement Coordinator for MOAIMH-EC, I am dedicated to supporting professionals in the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) field. MOAIMH-EC was my entry point into the Missouri IECMH community when I moved here in 2020, and I deeply value the connections I've made through this organization. Having previously served as Secretary for four years and as Co-Endorsement Coordinator for the last year, I bring a strong understanding of MOAIMH-EC's mission and goals to my current role. I am committed to facilitating the endorsement process, advocating for recognition of the credentials, and promoting career advancement within the field.
My background includes work in diverse settings such as community mental health, hospitals, Head Start, and public, private, and charter schools. I've also served as a clinician in the New Orleans Infant Team (Safe Babies Court Team), where I completed the Irving Harris Infant Mental Health Fellowship. I am currently the clinical lead in Jackson County Safe Babies Court. My clinical work integrates child welfare, diagnostic assessment, and evidence-based interventions like Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and IoWA-PCIT, for which I am also a certified trainer. As an Endorsed Reflective Supervisor, I believe in the importance of reflective supervision in building strong relationships and supporting the well-being of professionals, infants, toddlers, and their caregivers. I remain dedicated to the work of MOAIMH-EC and advancing the IECMH field through service, training, and leadership.
Janelle Richardson
Operations and Program Support Specialist
Hello! I’m Janelle Richardson, and I’m grateful to serve as the Program & Operations Specialist with MOAIMH-EC. In my role, I support statewide professional development, trainings, and operational systems that strengthen the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health workforce across Missouri. I deeply value the relationships built through this community and the collaborative efforts that support children, families, and the professionals who serve them.
My background includes nonprofit operations and management, community engagement, and program support. I actively participated in the successful advocacy effort to remove the diaper luxury tax in Missouri and supported diaper access initiatives serving multiple Head Start programs across Southwest Missouri. Through this work, I have seen how policy, access to resources, and strong systems directly impact family stability and child well-being.
My work is rooted in a heart for keeping families connected and supported. Alongside my role with MOAIMH-EC, I am a founding board member of Abide in Love – Springfield, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting immigrant families affected by detention and displacement through outreach, advocacy, and relationship-based programs with the goal of keeping families connected.
I am passionate about building inclusive, compassionate spaces where people feel valued and empowered. Through service, organization, and collaboration, I remain committed to supporting strong relationships between children and caregivers and strengthening the communities we serve.