About
Founded in 2021, Onward Consulting seeks to move communities and individuals onward in their goals using innovative strategies and practices. Rikki Barton, Onward’s CEO/Lead Consultant, has worked in the prevention field for 16+ years and, during that time, identified the need for further professional development and retention among her colleagues. Rikki has a passion for building up the prevention field workforce, developing leaders, increasing retention, and empowering youth. She also utilizes her experience by working with communities across the United States in their strategic planning, assessment, grant writing and evaluation, along with providing training on a variety of topics.
Successful Projects
History of successful
federal grant writing
SAMHSA's Partnerships
for Success grant evaluation project with the Mid-America PTTC Region 7
Prevention professional development coursework
Professional Boards/Certifications
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International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) Certified
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Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS)​
Rikki serves as the Ex-Officio of the Stand Against Trafficking Coalition, a community-based, volunteer-run organization that seeks to end human trafficking in the Ozarks through education, training, and collaboration with key partners. The fight to end human trafficking has been Rikki’s passion for 15 years and she has been a volunteer member of Stand Against Trafficking Coalition since it began in 2012. She was involved as a coalition member and helped consult/guide the leadership team for 9 years and then was nominated for the role of Chair in 2021.
In her volunteer role, she enhances the organizational structure, offers quarterly community education events, creates awareness media campaigns, co-hosts law enforcement training with Missouri State Highway Patrol, and builds relationships with key stakeholders in the community (including law enforcement, legislators, and schools). Anyone in the local community is invited to join Stand's efforts. Learn more about Stand here.
Rikki Barton
CEO & Lead Consultant
Rikki Barton has a passion for communicating essential messages to move individuals and communities onward in their goals. She is the CEO/Lead Consultant of Onward Consulting and holds the Certified Prevention Specialist credential. She has 16+ years of prevention field experience and currently serves as a consultant to assist organizations, coalitions, and state/federal agencies in the areas of substance use prevention, suicide prevention, and mental health promotion. She has extensive experience working with community coalitions, providing training, grant writing, managing funding sources, and leading a team of preventionists.
In her free time, she loves to travel to adventurous places and be active in nature with her rescue dog, Oreo.
Oreo
Chief Snuggles and Snoozes Officer
Oreo serves in the vital role of Chief Snuggles and Snoozes Officer. Her expertise in providing snuggle breaks creates an atmosphere of love and unconditional acceptance at Onward Consulting. Additionally, she oversees naptime and takes her snoozes very seriously. Often, her dreams are what inspire her in the work she does, so napping takes up most of her working hours. As a rescue, she knows what risk factors are and the importance of protective factors, especially of having at least one trusted human in her life to offer love, treats, long walks, and belly rubs. She has been with Onward Consulting since its inception in 2021 and plans to have a long tenure as the CSSO.