At KVC, we want every child and adult to be safe & connected to a strong family and a healthy community. We’re proud to be a leader in innovative, effective and compassionate care. See our services and programs overview.
Leading Change, Transforming Children’s Mental Health – Webster Groves Community Q&A
Webster Groves Community Q&A
KVC Missouri & St. Louis Children’s Hospital Joint Venture
St. Louis Children’s Hospital and KVC Missouri have announced a new joint venture to address the children’s mental health crisis together. The plan, as envisioned, would replace aging buildings on KVC Missouri’s Webster Groves campus with a new world-class children’s behavioral health hospital and an outpatient treatment center. This secure inpatient hospital will replace the less secure residential treatment program for which the campus is currently licensed, bringing safety improvements that benefit both children and neighbors.
We’ve created this page to share information and answer questions. If you have questions that aren’t answered below, contact NeighborComments@bjc.org. We aim to respond to questions within two business days.
Jump to a question:
- Why are St. Louis Children’s Hospital and KVC partnering?
- Is it true the campus is changing from an educational site to a hospital?
- Why a hospital?
- What services will be provided on the mental wellness campus?
- What is the size of the proposed facility?
- Did construction already start?
- Will there be an emergency room? Will there be ambulances?
- Who will be cared for at this location?
- How will this project ensure the safety of the neighbors?
- Why did St. Louis Children’s select KVC?
- Why Webster Groves?
- What will the impact be to the Webster Groves community?
Hear from Local & State Leaders
Sen. Doug Beck
“St. Louis Children’s Hospital and KVC Missouri are working together to improve mental health care for Missouri’s kids and teens. … I urge the Webster Groves City Plan Commission to put this investment to work and approve this gravely needed addition to our state’s mental wellness resources.”
Missouri Sen. Doug Beck
Rep. Brad Christ
“I support St. Louis Children’s Hospital and KVC Missouri’s project in Webster Groves. This will bring together the expertise and high-quality care of two of Missouri’s leading children’s healthcare providers on one campus, meeting local needs.”
Rep. Brad Christ
Missouri House of Representatives
Trish Lollo
“As Webster Groves residents, my husband and I love this community and are proud to call it home. Our mission at St. Louis Children’s Hospital is to do what’s right for kids. We offer comprehensive services in every pediatric medical and surgical specialty, with more than 4,500 team members providing specialized care a lot of kids and their families just can’t get anywhere else. I can tell you from our work at Children’s that the need for pediatric mental health services has never been greater. Working together with KVC, we will be able to serve our community and meet the needs of children who are struggling to get the care and resources they deserve.”
Trish Lollo
President, St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Lindsey Stephenson
“It has been a joy and an honor to be part of the Webster Groves community officially since April 2023, and even two years before that when we started discussing the future of this campus. We love engaging with our neighbors and care deeply about their input. I also want them to know that at KVC, we see every day the life-saving impact access to compassionate and trauma-informed treatment can have. Our relationship with St. Louis Children’s Hospital will help us provide kids and families with the support they urgently need in a world-class facility staffed by the region’s leading experts in pediatric mental health.”
Lindsey Stephenson
President, KVC Missouri
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Why are St. Louis Children’s Hospital and KVC partnering?
Kids live in an increasingly complicated world. More children across the country and in our region are experiencing depression, anxiety and other trauma-related conditions than ever before. One in six youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year and, alarmingly, suicide is the second leading cause of death for 10- to 14-year-olds. Our children are resilient, but they need help. As experts in pediatric mental health, St. Louis Children’s Hospital and KVC Missouri are committed to being a part of the solution and propose to replace aging infrastructure on the KVC Webster Groves campus with a modest, one-story building.
This map shows existing KVC buildings and services in teal, with the proposed project in purple:
Is it true the campus is changing from an educational site to a hospital?
KVC’s campus has been zoned for most of its long history for both educational services and residential care for 72 children. Given the urgent need facing kids today, KVC and St. Louis Children’s Hospital have partnered to shift the campus to provide inpatient care for up to 65 kids, while reducing the number of residential beds to 12, both of which will be housed in the new facility.
Why a hospital?
The word “hospital” can be misleading, but it is the key to better care for kids and security for the neighborhood. A building designed and built as a hospital provides structural and operational safeguards, not available in other buildings. Health care regulations are very precise, and from a regulatory perspective, a hospital provides the ultimate combination of security and clinical care for acute needs.
What services will be provided on the mental wellness campus?
Our plan is for KVC to continue to operate its K-12 therapeutic school, and through the partnership with St. Louis Children’s Hospital, together we will provide a full continuum of mental health services including:
- 65 inpatient beds for kids who need close medical supervision and care.
- 12 residential beds, located in the hospital, for kids experiencing emotional and mental health challenges who will benefit from extended clinical treatment.
- Outpatient care for patients who need ongoing treatment.
This approach provides a spectrum of care from experienced and specially trained pediatric behavioral health clinicians, including experts from Washington University School of Medicine, for kids and families in need.
What is the size of the proposed facility?
Aging buildings on the current campus are being removed and a one-story hospital would be built for inpatient and residential care. Outpatient services will be provided in another redesigned building already on the campus. Additionally, green space and landscaping around the campus will be enhanced.
Did construction already start?
No, the only activity underway is the demolition of the aging buildings. These buildings were vacated years ago and needed to be removed regardless of this proposal.
Will there be an emergency room? Will there be ambulances?
No. There will not be an emergency department. This is a dedicated pediatric mental health hospital. Kids and their families will most often come in private transportation. If an ambulance is used, it would likely arrive without lights or sirens. Many will come via KVC and St. Louis Children’s own transportation.
Who will be cared for at this location?
We will care for children from communities across the region, including from Webster Groves. The vast majority of kids who need the type of care being proposed are struggling with depression, anxiety or trauma—struggles many of us may face at some point in our lives. When these struggles become overwhelming, kids need several days in a safe space where they can get the intensive care and support that they need so they can return home to their families to continue treatment. This is not a juvenile detention center; it is health care for kids.
How will this project ensure the safety of the neighbors?
St. Louis Children’s and KVC are experts in operating hospitals and mental health facilities. The hospital will be designed with structural, operational, and technological safeguards, and will include dedicated safety and security officers on-site 24/7. One safety measure includes technology where if a patient attempts to leave, security is alerted to ensure they remain safely in the building. With our combined experience and resources, Children’s and KVC will provide an ideal therapeutic environment that ensures the safety of our patients, staff and the community.
Why did St. Louis Children’s select KVC?
St. Louis Children’s is a world-renowned pediatric hospital and is the oldest pediatric hospital west of the Mississippi River. This year, Children’s was named as one of the top 50 providers for behavioral health in the nation by US News and World Report. KVC is a well-recognized, national leader in mental wellness services for 50 years. As St. Louis Children’s conducted a comprehensive national search for a partner to help address the pediatric mental health crisis, it chose KVC for its expertise. This campus will continue St. Louis Children’s long tradition of providing the highest quality health care for kids.
Why Webster Groves?
Not only is KVC the right partner; Webster Groves is also the ideal location. KVC’s Webster Groves campus has been a place to care for kids for more than 150 years. The proposal builds on decades of providing mental health care on the campus and evolves it to provide the care our kids need today. It will provide a full continuum of care in one location; one that is centrally located, is peaceful, and an ideal healing environment for children. Kids receiving treatment thrive when they can look outside and see trees, people, pets, and other signs of normal life. In fact, there are similar pediatric mental health facilities located in residential communities throughout the United States for this reason.
What will the impact be to the Webster Groves community?
St. Louis Children’s is committed to being a good neighbor and to ensuring that its partnership with KVC on the Webster Groves campus results in the delivery of the safest care for both kids and neighbors. This includes special attention to minimizing traffic disruption, maintaining a residential and park-like feel, and actively supporting the community. We are working closely with city officials to ensure we fulfill this commitment.
We welcome community questions and input about this project at NeighborComments@bjc.org.
Media Coverage
Updated Webster Groves youth facility developers address residents’ concerns
Lindsey Stephenson, President of KVC Missouri, and Trish Lollo, President of St. Louis Children’s Hospital address community concerns, highlighting safety measures and their commitment to providing critical mental health services to children in the region. Read more about the project and ongoing discussions.
Hospital to address mental health crisis, faces opposition
While some local residents have expressed concerns about traffic and safety, KVC Missouri and St. Louis Children’s Hospital are dedicated to working through these challenges, ensuring a safe, supportive and healing environment for both the children and the surrounding community. Discover more about how the hospital plans to address mental health needs while navigating community concerns.
New teen behavioral health hospital proposed for Webster Groves
The proposed state-of-the-art behavioral health hospital in Webster Groves prioritizes safety, healing and a positive impact on the surrounding area. Parents whose children have benefited from KVC Missouri’s care see this as a vital step forward in providing resources for youth in need. Explore more about how this project is shaping the future of mental health care for teens while fostering community collaboration.
Many Speak In Favor Of New Children’s Mental Health Campus
The planned pediatric mental health campus in Webster Groves has garnered widespread support, with nearly 50 people attending a recent public hearing despite challenging weather. Learn more about this transformative project and the critical need for expanded mental health services for children.
Supporters pack hearing for Webster Groves pediatric mental health hospital
After delays due to opposition, BJC and supporters make case for children’s psychiatric hospital in Webster Groves
About St. Louis Children’s Hospital
St. Louis Children’s Hospital is one of the premier children’s hospitals in the U.S., providing a full range of pediatric services, including a 14-bed pediatric behavioral health unit. It is also the pediatric teaching hospital for Washington University School of Medicine. St. Louis Children’s Hospital is part of BJC Health System, one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States and the largest in the state of Missouri. Learn more: stlouischildrens.org.
About KVC Missouri
KVC Missouri is a nonprofit leading provider of children’s mental health and child welfare services. It’s part of the larger KVC Health Systems network with more than 60 locations in five states. KVC has three children’s mental health hospitals in Kansas operated by its subsidiary Camber Children’s Mental Health, plus a fourth hospital in construction with Children’s Mercy Kansas City. This St. Louis facility will be its fifth children’s mental health hospital. In St. Louis, KVC offers a K–12 therapeutic school with autism services and extensive community-based family services. Learn more: kvcmo.org.
Ask Questions or Express Your Support
We are eager to connect with neighbors about the future of our community. If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact NeighborComments@bjc.org.
May 30, 2024
Today we are pleased to announce that two of Missouri’s leading children’s healthcare providers – St. Louis Children’s Hospital (SLCH) and KVC Missouri (KVC) – aim to address the region’s urgent pediatric mental health crisis by working together through a joint venture to expand access to treatment and mental health programming.
The plan, as envisioned, would enhance KVC Missouri’s existing Webster Groves campus to include a new world-class children’s behavioral health hospital and residential program, as well as an outpatient treatment center to provide continuous care for patients. Within the new facility, children would be cared for by experienced and specially trained pediatric behavioral health experts from Washington University School of Medicine and KVC. KVC Academy Edgewood, a K-12 therapeutic school, will remain on campus as well.
National and local data show that Missouri youth are facing unprecedented anxiety and depression, as well as increases in youth suicide and suicidal ideation. Hospital emergency departments are seeing more children with severe mental health needs, yet they lack sufficient resources to provide the care they need. A shortage of beds for inpatient behavioral health treatment is causing children and families to experience delays in admissions, lengthy waitlists, and long travel times to find appropriate treatment.
Read the full announcement here: St. Louis Children’s Hospital and KVC Missouri Announce Agreement to Address Missouri’s Youth Mental Health Crisis
Dec. 7, 2023
At KVC Missouri, we are on a mission to transform children’s mental healthcare in Missouri, because sadly, our state is facing an alarming crisis. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among Missouri’s young people ages 10-34, and Missouri ranks in the bottom 10 states nationally in access to mental health care, according to Mental Health America.
While the need continues to grow, especially in the St. Louis region, the number of beds is not keeping pace – with the region lacking 150 inpatient pediatric beds for children and teens in mental health crisis. This results in delayed admissions, lengthy waitlists, and extensive travel times for desperate families and young people.
At KVC Missouri, we’re committed to leading the change. We are working with state and local partners to mobilize support and provide the necessary facilities and staff to properly care for our children in greatest need. KVC Missouri is connecting with leaders and experts throughout Missouri – and in the Greater St. Louis region – to help us lead change and transform lives.
Read below to learn more about what we’re planning and follow along for more updates.
Connecting Missouri’s Children to Better Mental Health
Credibility, Vision, Leadership: As a subsidiary of KVC Health Systems, a national leader in child welfare and mental health, KVC Missouri brings operational excellence and outcomes, as well as innovative therapeutic practices, to the region. Our services reach across the continuum of care, and with 24 locations and campuses spanning the state, KVC Missouri is the most comprehensive nonprofit children’s mental health organization in the state.
KVC Missouri strengthens families, prevents child abuse and neglect, and helps children and adults achieve mental health wellness. Through our sister subsidiary Camber Children’s Mental Health, KVC Health Systems has three children’s mental health hospitals already serving many Missouri youth – and we are building a fourth one now through a joint venture with Children’s Mercy Kansas City. We specialize in building modern, safe, and secure acute healing environments where we provide nationally recognized behavioral therapies that transform lives.
Uplifting St. Louis: To address the unmet needs of the the Greater St. Louis region, KVC Missouri is in the early stages of imagining new possibilities for creating first-class, leading-edge children’s mental health treatment options. Together, KVC Missouri and leaders in the Greater St. Louis region are working toward our goal of ensuring a community-centered approach that supports and uplifts opportunities for all – because it will take all of us to meaningfully and effectively serve the mental health needs of families and children in crisis.
Moving Forward: Our focus is on the future of child welfare and mental health care for individuals, families and children in St. Louis and throughout the state of Missouri. We are moving forward into a bright new day with untold possibilities. Join us on our journey.
“We’re facing a children’s mental health crisis in the St. Louis region and there are limited treatment options. Currently we are lacking 150 inpatient pediatric mental health beds in the region. This means children are not receiving lifesaving care when they are in their most critical time of need.”
Lindsey Stephenson, LSCSW, President, KVC Missouri
Bringing Community Together
Webster Groves, located in the Greater St. Louis region, is a regional hub of KVC Missouri. We have made significant improvements following our acquisition of Great Circle, including building a senior leadership team for our Webster Groves campus and expanding our programs and services that strengthen families, prevent child abuse and neglect, and help both children and adults achieve mental wellness.
Mental health care is always best when it is local — within reach of families, schools, friends and local medical providers. For that reason, we value our local community partners and their influential roles, both outside and within the walls of every KVC Missouri facility. That’s how healthy families and strong communities come together to make Missouri lives better.