School of Social Work

Collaborative for Missouri Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

About us

The Collaborative for Missouri Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (C MO PAT) serves as a consortium for researchers, community practitioners, students, and advocates dedicated to advancing the science and practice of PAT in Missouri.

C MO PAT rests on four pillars: Research, Education, Advocacy, and Policy. Our mission is to collaborate across disciplines and sectors to advance psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) research, policy, and practice in ways that are ethical, effective, and equitable, creating access to PAT for those who need it most. The group will encourage interdisciplinary collaboration, highlight emerging opportunities to facilitate workforce development in PAT (e.g., hosting training and continuing education workshops on PAT), foster innovative research projects, and seek funding for these projects.

Research

People

Danielle Adams
Dani Adams, PhD, LMSW

Dani Adams, Director

Dani Adams is an Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Social Work. She earned her PhD and Master’s in Social Work from the Crown Family School of Social Work at the University of Chicago, and completed a NIMH-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research aims to improve the availability, accessibility, and quality of mental health services for historically marginalized populations.

Dr. Adams is an emerging scholar in the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), specifically looking at how to translate PAT from promising research into real-world clinical practice through the use of implementation science. She has been trained in psilocybin-assisted therapy by the Usona Institute and MDMA-assisted therapy by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). She directs the Collaborative for Missouri PAT (C MO PAT) at Mizzou and co-leads the psychedelic-assisted therapy learning collaborative (PAT-LC) with Dr. Leopoldo Cabassa at Washington University in St. Louis.

Greg Williams, Student Lead

Greg Williams
Greg Williams

Greg Williams is a Master of Social Work (MSW) student with a clinical concentration who has an interest in finding innovative ways of advancing mental healthcare. He serves as the lead student facilitator for the Collaborative for Missouri Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, where he is passionate about raising awareness and supporting research efforts related to psychedelic-assisted treatments.

A Navy veteran with six years of service, Greg has a deep respect for the struggles his fellow Veterans face. His professional goal is to become a social worker with the Department of Veterans Affairs where he aims to support fellow Veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder, substance use disorder, homelessness, and suicidality.

Education

The Mizzou School of Social Work is a member of U-PEP! The University Psychedelic-Education Program is a nationwide learning collaborative of Schools of Social Work and Nursing designed to broaden access to education about the therapeutic use of psychedelic medicines by equipping university faculty with essential knowledge and resources to develop and integrate evidence-based, culturally responsive psychedelic content into their curriculum.

Kelli Canada, U-PEP Fellow

Kelli Canada
Kelli Canada, PhD, LCSW

Kelli E. Canada, PhD, LCSW, is an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Social Work. She received her MSW from Columbia University and PhD from the University of Chicago. Dr. Canada’s research focuses on institution-based interventions (e.g., prisons, hospitals, nursing homes) and care transitions for adults and older adults with mental illnesses including the policies and practices impacting recidivism, social justice, and quality of life. Dr. Canada utilizes community-engaged research strategies and is a mixed methodologist.

Dr. Canada is an alumnus of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leader program and has active research projects funded through the NIMH, Arnold Ventures, and the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Danielle Easter, U-PEP Fellow

Danielle Easter
Danielle Easter, LCSW, MSW

Danielle Easter is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a faculty member with School of Social Work serving as an Associate Clinical Professor and Clinical Co-Director for the Integrative Behavioral Health Clinic (IBHC). In this capacity, she oversees clinical practice conducted by students in a community mental health setting. IBHC serves individuals in the community who are uninsured or who have been identified as having barriers to accessing services otherwise. Danielle teaches clinical practice courses including substance use and addictive behaviors.

Danielle’s previous work includes social work practice at Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital (Truman VA) in Columbia, Missouri. In this position, she worked with Veterans involved in the Criminal Justice System and served as a team member for several treatment court teams including two Veteran Treatment Courts within the Truman VA’s 43 county coverage area. She served several years on the VA’s VISN 15 Social Work Professional Standards Board and Truman VA’s Social Work Practice Council. She sat on the Mid-Missouri Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Council and provided educational presentations for CIT training to Law Enforcement Officers throughout the state of Missouri. Prior to her work at the VA, she worked as the Chief of Mental Health at the Moberly Correctional Center.

Policy

Get involved

Want to learn more about PAT? Watch a recording below of Dani Adams’s Grand Rounds lecture on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy.