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 partners are creating a new world-class children’s behavioral health hospital and outpatient treatment center on KVC Missouri’s Webster Groves campus. This secure inpatient hospital will replace the less secure residential treatment program for which the campus is 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.

Hear from Local & State Leaders

“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

 

 

“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

 

 

“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

 

“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.

What changes are happening at the Webster Groves campus?

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 Hospital 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 the new facility, ensuring children receive the highest quality care in a purpose-built setting.

In addition to these changes, KVC Academy will continue to operate as a K-12 therapeutic school on the campus, ensuring educational services remain available for children who need them.

What services will be provided?

KVC will 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 will the new facility be like?

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. 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 create a peaceful, healing environment for children receiving care.

There will be no emergency department at this location. Children and families will typically arrive via private transportation, and if an ambulance is required, it will likely arrive without lights or sirens. The facility is designed to prioritize patient care while maintaining the residential character of the neighborhood.

What is the timeline for construction?

Demolition of aging buildings on the campus is currently underway. These buildings were vacated years ago and needed to be removed regardless of this project. Construction of the new facility has not yet begun, as plans continue to be refined to ensure the hospital is designed to best serve the needs of children and families.

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.

How will safety be ensured?

St. Louis Children’s and KVC are experts in operating hospitals and mental health facilities, and ensuring safety is a top priority. The hospital will be designed with structural, operational and technological safeguards in place, including 24/7 dedicated safety and security officers on-site.

Additionally, the facility 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, ensure the safety of patients, staff and the surrounding 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 is Webster Groves the right location?

Not only is KVC the right partner; Webster Groves is also the ideal location. KVC’s Webster Groves campus has been a place of care for children for more than 150 years. This project builds on that legacy by evolving the services offered to meet today’s growing mental health needs.

The campus is centrally located and provides a peaceful, supportive environment for healing. Research has shown that children in treatment benefit from being in spaces where they can see trees, people and pets, reinforcing a sense of normalcy. For this reason, similar pediatric mental health facilities are located in residential communities throughout the country.

St. Louis Children’s is committed to being a good neighbor, working closely with city officials to minimize traffic disruptions, maintain the campus’s park-like feel, and actively support the Webster Groves community.

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.

 

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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.

 

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.