Felix Vincenz, chief operating officer of St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center, has been named interim director of the Missouri Institute of Mental Health at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. (Photo by August Jennewein)

Felix Vincenz, chief operating officer of St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center, has been named interim director of the Missouri Institute of Mental Health at the University of Missouri­­–St. Louis.

“I am thrilled with the opportunity to work in a new capacity with an exemplary group of distinguished scientists and staff,” he said.

Vincenz began as interim director of MIMH on Dec. 16, and fills the position left by Joe Parks, who has been named director of the MO HealthNet Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services.

Vincenz has more than 31 years of experience in behavioral health and has worked within the Department of Mental Health in various clinical and administrative capacities. During his time at the helm of MIMH, he hopes to grow the organization and help it return to its historical mission to conduct basic research in the behavioral health field, in addition to its exemplary work in program evaluation research, professional education, mental health promotion and prevention, and behavioral health consultation.

“We hope to help shepherd MIMH into an increasingly more secure and stable future,” he said.

Vincenz was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and moved to St. Louis in 1961 when he was 6 years old after his father secured a teaching position at Saint Louis University. In 1999, he moved from St. Louis to Columbia, Mo., to serve as chief executive officer of Fulton (Mo.) State Hospital. In 2005, he became director of facility operations for the Department of Mental Health. A year later he assumed the role of chief operating officer of the Division of Comprehensive Psychiatric Services. He remained in that role until retiring in July 2012, and moved back to St. Louis where he became a faculty member of MIMH. He was also contracted to the Department of Mental Health to serve as COO of St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center.

Vincenz earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology, master’s degree in general psychology and a doctorate in clinical psychology, all from Saint Louis University.

Vincenz and his wife of 35 years have four children. The couple lives in St. Charles, Mo.