Director Bios

Joe Yancey, Executive Director

Executive Director Joe Yancey says the "simple most compelling message" about clients served by Places for People is that they "desire the same things out of life that everyone does." As leader of the merged organization, Joe vows to "collectively create a system of care that is accessible, efficient, effective and accountable to those who are dependent on it being so."

With over 30 years’ experience in the mental health care field, Joe understands how critical it is for those in need to have access to quality mental and behavioral health care. He joined Community Alternatives in 2007 as Executive Director but began his professional career with PfP's Club. Joe was later named the first director of PfP’s West Pine Group Home, which opened in 1983 as the first psychiatric group home in the St. Louis area.

Following his first tenure at PfP, Joe’s career included 15 years of experience with the Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH), serving as director of community-based services for the East and Southeast regions and interim deputy director for the division of Comprehensive Psychiatric Services.

He has emerged as a leader in the mental health community and served as lead adult policy coordinator for the Missouri Mental Health Transformation Initiative through the governor’s office. In addition, he chaired the Behavioral Health Advisory Board of the Eastern Region Behavioral Health Initiative, an effort that has transitioned into the newly formed Behavioral Health Network (BHN). Yancey currently serves as BHN's chairperson of the board of directors.

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Dr. Gary Morse, Associate Executive Director

Dr. Gary Morse, Associate Executive Director of Places for People, finds the most rewarding part of his work with people with serious mental illness, who are often underserved and stigmatized, is seeing clients recover a sense of their joy and fulfillment in life.

Since 1981, Gary has served in the mental health care field providing behavioral health services, researching and developing best practices, administering programs, consulting, and training. In 1995, he founded the mental health care organization Community Alternatives after Missouri privatized outpatient mental health services. CA joined with Places for People in January 2011 to provide more clients with expanded services.

Gary’s extensive work in the field of mental health care includes the development of programs for other underserved populations, including people with serious mental illness co-occurring with HIV/AIDS and youths with behavioral disorders and involvement in the juvenile court system.

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Barbara Zawier, Co-Clinical Director

Co-Clinical Director Barbara Zawier, MSW, LCSW oversees most clinical service delivery and quality assurance activities at Places for People. She helps develop, update, and monitor standard operating procedures, crisis intervention services, staff development, and training.

Barb is a graduate of State University College of New York at Buffalo where she received her Bachelor’s of Social Work in 1982. She received her Master’s of Social Work from Washington University, George Warren Brown School of Social Work in 1984.

Before Places for People, Barb provided clinical services management and helped with the creation of Community Alternatives from November 1995 until the merger was complete in 2011.

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Scott Bayliff, Co-Clinical Director

Scott Bayliff, the Co-Clinical Director for Places for People has been in the mental health field since 1985. Scott is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in psychology in 1983. He received his Master’s of Science in Education from Eastern Illinois University in 1984, where his field of study was Guidance and Counseling. 

In 1998, Scott accepted the clinical leadership position at Places for People and was responsible for the supervision and management of clinical and support staff for ultimately six community support teams, a psychosocial rehabilitation center (the Club), and a psychiatric group home.

During his tenure, the agency grew to include an innovative apartment building project called CJ’s Place that utilizes much of what Scott learned in his previous housing efforts, specifically, how to support clients with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders to live independently.

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