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Leading Change, Transforming Children’s Mental Health – Webster Groves Community Q&A
Transforming Pediatric Mental Health in Missouri and Beyond
St. Louis Children’s and KVC Health Systems have formed a joint venture to provide world-class pediatric mental health treatment for youth ages six to 18 who are struggling with anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, the impacts of trauma and other mental health challenges. Opening in late 2026 on KVC Missouri’s Children’s Mental Wellness Campus, a new, state-of-the-art children’s mental health hospital and fully renovated outpatient treatment facility will offer four new levels of care to youth and their families.
St. Louis Children’s, consistently ranked among the nation’s top pediatric hospitals, has a long history of providing the highest-quality care for children. KVC Health Systems brings more than 50 years of leadership in children’s mental health and family services. After a comprehensive national search, St. Louis Children’s selected KVC for its deep expertise, proven outcomes and compassionate, trauma-informed care model. Together, the organizations will help more children and families get the mental health support they need, when they need it.
Why Now?
Local and national data show that Missouri area youth are facing unprecedented levels of anxiety and depression. Children in serious mental health crises are overwhelming emergency departments and are forced to wait weeks for the specialized treatment they need. St. Louis has fewer than half of the pediatric mental health beds needed.
Together, St. Louis Children’s and KVC Health Systems are committed to being part of the solution. With a new, state-of-the-art, 77-bed children’s mental health hospital and fully renovated outpatient treatment center, youth in need will have access to a full continuum of transformative mental health care. All new services will open in late 2026.
Continuum of Care
For an active emergency, please go to your local emergency room or call 911. You can also call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
In these new programs, children and teens will be cared for by specially trained pediatric mental health experts. Inpatient and residential care will be operated by KVC’s inpatient treatment team, Camber Mental Health, and outpatient services will be delivered by KVC Missouri. Both teams will collaborate closely with WashU Medicine physicians from St. Louis Children’s, ensuring expert, integrated care for every child.
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): Comprehensive, short-term treatment for children and teens ages eight to 17 who are experiencing behavioral, emotional or relational challenges. This program is designed to help youth safely remain in their homes and communities while receiving intensive clinical support to build coping skills, strengthen relationships and develop strategies to manage emotions and behaviors effectively.
- Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): Structured, short-term mental health care for youth ages eight to 17 who need intensive clinical support but do not require 24-hour inpatient care. This program is designed to help stabilize children and teens who are at high risk of hospitalization. Youth will participate in individual, group and family therapy each day, along with skill-building, education support and psychiatric care, all designed to promote healing and resilience. Each evening, participants will return home, allowing them to practice new coping skills in their daily lives and maintain a strong connection with their family and community.
- Residential Treatment: Intensive, around-the-clock support in a structured, home-like environment, for youth ages six to 18. Our expert clinicians and staff will help youth build emotion regulation and coping skills through evidence-based therapy, education and engaging community activities. This level of care is ideal for children and teens who need more support than outpatient services can provide and have typically engaged in outpatient treatment without success but are not currently in a mental health crisis. There will be 12 residential beds in the newly constructed hospital.
- Inpatient Treatment: Acute 24‑hour care for patients ages six to 18 whose emotional and behavioral health needs require immediate, high‑level intervention. This level of care is designed for youth experiencing a mental health crisis. Our goal is to help each patient stabilize and return home as safely as possible, equipped with the skills, support and resources they need to continue treatment in their community. We will work closely with parents/guardians to create an aftercare plan that supports ongoing healing after discharge, helping each child continue to progress in their home community. There will be 65 beds available for inpatient hospitalization.
A Healing Campus
Located in Webster Groves, Missouri, the KVC Missouri Children’s Mental Wellness Campus will bring together eight levels of care in one peaceful, supportive setting. The new hospital will be a one-story facility designed specifically for inpatient and residential mental health care. Outpatient services will be housed in a separate, fully renovated building already on campus. The facilities are designed to prioritize patient care and safety while maintaining the residential character of the neighborhood. In addition to the inpatient, residential and outpatient programs provided in collaboration with St. Louis Children’s, this campus already includes the KVC Academy therapeutic school for grades K-12 and community‑based support services for children and families. You can learn more about current services offered on this KVC Missouri campus here.
Media
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
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
About the Joint Venture
St. Louis Children’s 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. The hospital is staffed by pediatric specialists at WashU Medicine. St. Louis Children’s is part of BJC Health System, one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the U.S. and the largest in Missouri.
KVC Health Systems is a national leader in transforming health and human services. This family of nonprofit organizations is dedicated to strengthening families, preventing child abuse and neglect, and helping children achieve mental wellness. With more than 65 locations across five states, KVC includes KVC Missouri—whose Children’s Mental Wellness Campus in Webster Groves, MO offers a comprehensive continuum of care, including a K-12 alternative therapeutic school with autism services and extensive community-based family services—and Camber Mental Health, which has provided trauma-informed care at children’s hospitals across the Midwest for over 30 years.
Join Us On This Journey
This transformative project is made possible through the generosity and partnership of our community — and there is still important work ahead. Together, we are seeking the remaining $25 million for our new youth mental health care services.
To learn more about partnership and giving opportunities, contact:
Michelle Lawrence, President, KVC Foundation: mlawrence@kvc.org | (913) 226-2469
Matt Hayden, Director of Development, St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation: matthew.hayden@bjc.org | (314) 397-5314.
For general questions or comments, please contact Lauren Hentchel, KVC Missouri | (844) 424-3577.
Frequently Asked Questions
KVC’s campus has long been zoned for both educational services and residential care for children. Given the urgent need for youth mental health care, KVC and St. Louis Children’s are shifting the campus to provide inpatient mental health treatment for up to 65 children while reducing the number of residential beds to 12. Both services will be housed in new or renovated facilities, ensuring children receive the highest quality care in a purpose-built setting. KVC Academy will continue to operate as a K-12 therapeutic school on the campus.
The word “hospital” can be misleading, but it is the key to better care for youth and security for the neighborhood. A purpose-built hospital allows for enhanced safety features, specialized staffing, and the highest level of regulatory oversight. 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.
The new hospital will be a one-story facility designed specifically for inpatient and residential mental health care. Outpatient services will be housed in a separate, redesigned building already on campus. In addition to the facility itself, green space and landscaping will be enhanced to support a peaceful, healing environment for children receiving care.
We began construction on the one-story mental wellness hospital in spring 2025 and expect to open late 2026. Key milestones include:
Construction Begins – Spring 2025
Structural Frame Complete – Fall 2025
Internal Construction Complete – Fall 2026
Opening – Late 2026
No. The hospital will not include an emergency department. This is a dedicated pediatric mental health hospital, and most families will arrive via private transportation. If an ambulance is used, it will likely arrive without lights or sirens. The facility is designed to prioritize patient care while maintaining the residential character of the neighborhood.
Safety is a top priority. St. Louis Children’s and KVC have extensive experience operating pediatric hospitals and mental health facilities. The hospital will include structural, operational, and technology safeguards, including 24/7 on-site safety and security officers.
Additionally, the facilities will feature technology that alerts staff if a patient attempts to leave without supervision. These measures, combined with the experience and resources of both organizations, help ensure the safety of patients, team members and the surrounding community.
Webster Groves is a natural fit because KVC’s campus there has served children for more than 150 years. Its centrally located, park-like setting provides a calm, healing environment, which research shows is important for children receiving mental health care. Similar pediatric mental health facilities are located in residential communities across nationwide for this reason. St. Louis Children’s and KVC are committed to being good neighbors and will work closely with city partners to minimize traffic disruptions and support the community.