The Mental Health Commission, composed of seven members, appoints the director of the Department of Mental Health with confirmation by the state Senate. Commissioners are appointed to four-year terms by the Governor, again with the confirmation of the Senate. The commissioners serve as principle policy advisors to the department director.
The Commission, by law, must include an advocate of community mental health services, a physician who is an expert in the treatment of mental illness, a physician concerned with developmental disabilities, a member with business expertise, an advocate of substance abuse treatment, a citizen who represents the interests of consumers of psychiatric services, and a citizen who represents the interests of consumers of developmental disabilities services. E-mail the Commissioners at mhcommission@dmh.mo.gov.
Mina Charepoo is a board certified practicing psychiatrist at the Washington University School of Medicine. After completing medical school at Drexel School of Medicine in Philadelphia, she moved to St. Louis, Missouri where she was accepted to Washington University's Department of Psychiatry's residency program. Dr. Charepoo has been practicing adult psychiatry since 2003. She lives in St. Louis with her husband and their three children.
Teresa Coyan attended Missouri State University, where she received her undergraduate degree in 2005 in Business Management with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship. In 2010, Teresa received her MBA through Webster University. She started working at CoxHealth in 2008 and has had several roles over the years with the organization. She is currently the Vice President of Public Affairs where she serves as the liaison between CoxHealth and local, state and federal legislators, business leaders, and the community. Teresa is also active in a variety of community organizations including the Governmental Relations Committee for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, where she is a former chair; the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools, and Discovery Center Springfield. She was part of the Leadership Springfield - Class 27 and was previously a member of the Board of Public Utilities. Teresa is married to Justin Coyan and they have two children, Connor and Kinley.
Jhan Hurn holds a Business Administration Degree from Missouri Southern State University. He has 47 years of experience working in programs for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and has been an advocate for community-based Mental Health services at both the local and state level. Jhan was the President/CEO of Community Support Services of Missouri for over 27 years, retiring in December 2022. He continues to be active in several community organizations including Joplin Sports Authority, Jasper County Industrial Development Authority, the City of Joplin Proposition Action Oversight Committee, Joplin Daybreak Rotary and Christ’s Community Church in Joplin. Jhan and his wife Laura are life-long residents of Southwest Missouri. They have three children and eight grandchildren.
Kishore Khot, M.D., is a board certified practicing psychiatrist with over 24 years of experience working with patients of all ages at an outpatient mental health clinic in Southeast Missouri. After completing medical school in India and his residency in psychiatry in Albany, NY, he went on to complete a fellowship in geriatric psychiatry at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Dr. Khot planned to work in a mental health, an underserved area for three years and came to Missouri in 2000 to do that. However, he and his family fell in love with the state and decided to make it their home, and where he would continue his practice. He sees children, adults, and the elderly at the outpatient clinic of the Community Counseling Center in Cape Girardeau. Over the years, he has also worked in the Center’s outpatient mental health clinics in Perryville, St. Genevieve, Marble Hill, and Fredericktown. He has also worked in the inpatient unit at SoutheastHEALTH (now Mercy) hospital for over 10 years. Dr. Khot believes that advocating for policies which raise awareness and help in early identification , intervention and support of individuals with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities is a fundamental part of his commitment as a psychiatrist. He lives in Cape Girardeau with his wife Swati, who is an MBA and a high school teacher of business education, and their son, Sahil.
Brian Neuner is a journalist by degree and served as Sports Director at KOMU-TV for 11 years. He then was drawn into the Columbia, MO, community to serve as the UMB Bank Vice President and President for eight years. Brian continued to diversify his skills and spent time as a Business Development and Public Relations Director until landing in his current position as Chief Development and Marketing Officer for Special Olympics Missouri. With his volunteer time he is committed to improving health care in Mid-Missouri. Brian served on the board of Children’s Hospital in Columbia, the Dean’s Advisory Board at the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing, and served as an officer, including chair, for the Boone Hospital Center Board of Trustees. Brian is married to his wife of 30 years, who is a pediatric nurse, and they have two daughters. His first introduction to mental health was through his mother-in-law who was an administrator at Fulton State Mental Hospital for more than 25 years. Brian has also been involved in programs like the Thompson Center for Autism and Step-up for Downs Syndrome. His combined professional and personal experience drives him to be an active voice and advocate for Missourians with mental illness and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Dennis Tesreau is a retired attorney from the Wegmann Law Firm in Hillsboro, MO, where he practiced law for 40 years until his retirement in 2015. He was admitted to practice law in the Courts of Missouri, the United States District Court and the United States Circuit Court of Appeals. He is the former President and Secretary of the Jefferson County Bar Association and was the Co-Chairman of the Jefferson County Charter Commission which created the governing laws of Jefferson County. In addition to law, Dennis has extensive experience serving on many Boards of Directors of organizations supporting individuals with mental health and physical disabilities. He has served as a Director and Chairperson of the Community Advisory Committee for the Missouri Foundation for Health, and was a member of the Mental Health Fund Board of Jefferson County. He is also a former Director of Comtrea, the first provider of mental health services in Jefferson County and now a Federally Qualified Health Center. Dennis also served on the Boards of the Children's Learning and Rehabilitation Center and Next Step for Life. He presently serves as the Vice Chairman of Pony Bird whose mission is to improve the life of individuals with disabilities. He has served as a gubernatorial appointment on the Missouri Mental Health Commission since 2009, serving 2 terms as Chairman and 2 terms as Secretary. Dennis lives in Herculaneum with his wife of 43 years, Sue. They have one child, Macy.
Lynne Unnerstall is a retired inventory control analyst. She is married and the mother of two sons. In 1996, her younger son was hit by a drunk driver at the age of 18 and sustained a traumatic brain injury. In order to learn what options were available for her son, Lynne became involved with the Missouri Brain Injury Association and served on the board for nine years, including two years as President. She has also served as President of the Friends Foundation which helps fund requests from various service providers of persons with developmental disabilities to help enhance their lives. She currently serves on the Board of Advocates for Community Choice (ACC), including three years as President. ACC promotes the choice of options in both living location and type of employment. Lynne is interested in local, state, and federal policies and budgets that affect those with developmental disabilities.