Missouri Asylums: Their History and Evolution
A brief overview of the history of the Department’s inpatient psychiatric hospitals, from their initial founding to the present day.
Learning Objectives: Individuals attending the presentation will develop a better understanding of
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- The original mission of the hospitals and its roots in the Age of Enlightenment
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- The specific histories of the various hospital comprising the Division of Behavioral Health
- The evolution of those hospitals over the past 2 centuries and their present mission today
Presenters:
Felix Vincenz, PhD
Dr. Felix Vincenz is the Associate Director of the Missouri Institute of Mental Health at the University of Missouri. He also serves as the Chief Operating Officer of St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center, a state operated, long-term inpatient forensic hospital. Dr. Vincenz has worked in the Department of Mental Health for over 36 years, serving in various capacities, including Chief Executive of the State’s only Maximum Security Hospital, the Department’s Director of Facility Operations, and as the Chief Operating Officer of the Division of Behavioral Health. In the latter two roles, he oversaw all the state operated psychiatric hospitals and habilitation centers, and was responsible for working with the department’s contracted providers for community mental health services. He is a clinical psychologist by training.
Amanda Hunyar
Amanda Hunyar is the librarian and archivist for St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center. When not getting lost in old buildings, she can be found providing library services for clients and staff.
