Vicky Mieseler
Vice President of Clinical Services, Ozark Center
Vicky Mieseler has been a licensed psychologist in Missouri since 1993. She serves as vice president of Clinical Services and has been employed at Ozark Center for 32 years. Mrs. Mieseler is clinically responsible for nearly 200 clinicians providing community and crisis response services; children’s psychiatric services, including a 72 bed residential facility and a transitional apartment program for pre-adults; and, the Bill and Virginia Leffen Center for Autism formerly known as Ozark Center for Autism.
Mrs. Mieseler was instrumental in developing and implementing the mental health disaster response to the citizens of Joplin, Missouri following the May 22, 2011 tornado that resulted in destruction that left Joplin in a state of shock and disbelief and the residents deeply affected by trauma and saddened with grief and loss. The mental health needs of the community were a high priority for Ozark Center and under the leadership of Mrs. Mieseler the Healing Joplin team was developed. The presence of the Healing Joplin team, simply clad in blue shirts, throughout the community generated help-seeking behaviors and pride among disaster survivors. The Healing Joplin team met the needs of the city of Joplin in ways that traditional mental health services couldn’t, providing the healing the city of Joplin needed. Mrs. Mieseler has taken the time to capture key lessons learned before, during and after the Joplin disaster and now speaks to disaster groups to ensure everyone is better prepared to respond, rebuild and recover if and when disaster strikes.
