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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 us at webstergroves@kvc.org or contact Diana Wurster, dwurster@kvc.org. We aim to respond to questions within two business days.
Jump to a question:
- What are KVC Missouri and St. Louis Children’s Hospital proposing?
- What need is driving this proposal?
- What safety and security measures are planned for the new hospital?
- Why is Webster Groves the ideal location for this specialized care?
- Which pediatric conditions will this campus treat?
- How has KVC engaged the Webster Groves community for input?
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
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
What are KVC Missouri and St. Louis Children’s Hospital proposing?
Two of Missouri’s leading children’s healthcare providers – St. Louis Children’s Hospital and KVC Missouri – aim to address the region’s urgent pediatric mental health crisis by working together through a joint venture to help families access life-saving treatment. Read the full announcement here.
The plan, as envisioned, would replace aging buildings on KVC Missouri’s existing Webster Groves campus with a new world-class children’s behavioral health hospital and an outpatient treatment center. Within the new secure 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, and the historic Rock House will remain on campus as well.
This map shows existing KVC buildings and services in teal, with the proposed project in purple:
What need is driving this proposal?
Children in Webster Groves and the larger St. Louis community are hurting and experiencing an urgent mental health crisis. In fact, in 2022, there were nearly 540 Emergency Department visits to local hospitals for children from the Webster Groves area. Nearly 20% of those were for intentional self-harm or suicidal ideation.
- Suicide and mental health: Suicide is the second leading cause of death for 10–14-year-olds in Missouri. Many of our children are facing unprecedented anxiety and depression.
- Psychiatric bed shortage: St. Louis and surrounding areas have less than 50% of the beds needed to support children—8,751 projected patients per year vs. 3,200 current capacity.
- ERs are under strain: Children in serious mental health crisis are overwhelming Emergency Departments and are forced to wait weeks for the specialized treatment they need.
In short, the need for pediatric mental health services has never been greater. To address this need, we plan to replace existing facilities with a new hospital designed to ensure safety, security and outcomes.
What safety and security measures are planned for the new hospital?
KVC has a long track record of successfully operating children’s mental wellness facilities with safety and security for both the patients and surrounding neighborhoods. Our hospitals are accredited by The Joint Commission, considered the gold standard in healthcare. These hospitals outperform national averages in terms of patient safety and outcomes including high patient experience scores, low readmission rates, and positive post-discharge experiences for caregivers.
While the Webster Groves campus’s past residential treatment program allowed youth to move freely around campus, the new inpatient hospital will be fully secure. Our current proposal calls for replacing current residential treatment beds with a new state-of-the-art hospital designed to incorporate the optimal safety and security technology and protocols utilized at our other facilities, including:
- Controlled access points, locked doors, and appropriate surveillance systems to prevent unauthorized entry and to monitor activities.
- A Safety Management Committee and Safety Officers at each location (including Webster Groves) who routinely evaluate both the internal and external environment and continually enhance safety in multiple ways.
- Appropriate staffing levels to ensure timely response to emergencies and maintain a safe environment.
- Staff receive specialized training in de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention, and managing aggressive behavior to effectively handle challenging situations.
- State-of-the-art patient monitoring technology to ensure the security and safety of patients. Supervision is tailored to individual needs and risk levels.
Inpatient children’s behavioral health hospitals are the optimal care environments for children and proven to ensure safety for neighbors.
Why is Webster Groves the ideal location for this specialized care?
Webster Groves has long been a place of caring for children in need. In 1869, the St. Louis Orphan’s Asylum moved to the Webster College for Boys property in Webster Groves, providing a beautiful, safe new home for children. These nonprofits and many others including Edgewood Children’s Center have integrated over time to form today’s KVC Missouri. This means that the organizations in KVC’s history have been caring for children on our Webster Groves campus for more than 150 years — three decades before the city itself was incorporated in 1896.
Residential neighborhoods are ideal locations for inpatient treatment facilities because they provide a quieter, more therapeutic environment that supports healing; allow for community integration and connection to typical day-to-day life in a way that supports reintegration; and offer accessibility to families who visit or who need to return for outpatient follow-up care.
While KVC is already authorized to serve youth on this campus, our proposal is to enhance safety, security and outcomes by replacing aging buildings with a building intentionally built for inpatient treatment.
Which pediatric conditions will this campus treat?
This campus will serve children experiencing mental health needs including depression, anxiety, and risk of self-harm including suicide. Mental health needs affect all types of families without regard to age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, or other demographic variables. Language describing children served as violent or as criminals is inaccurate, stigmatizing, and harmful.
How has KVC engaged the Webster Groves community for input on this project?
KVC took responsibility for the Webster Groves campus on April 1, 2023, and loves being part of this historic, beautiful community. We’ve worked to engage with the community such as hosting an Open House and tours for the public during the holidays, meeting one-on-one with community leaders, inviting residents to neighborhood meetings about this project in May, and partnering with dozens of business and individual donors who support our mission.
We welcome community questions and input about this project at webstergroves@kvc.org.
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 us at webstergroves@kvc.org or contact Diana Wurster, dwurster@kvc.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.