By Ingrid Keizer and Collyn Robinson
The Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri (LFCS), founded in 1868 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, plans to expand its services in Kansas City.
When LFCS arrived in Kansas City in late 2022, it set up a temporary office at Peace Lutheran Church located at 8240 Blue Ridge Blvd. Now, one of Missouri’s oldest statewide social services agencies is moving to a new office space located at 1 East Armour Boulevard. This space was chosen due to its central location that allows for easy access by public transportation. The office opened this month with plans for an open house in September. Although LFCS is moving out of south Kansas City, its President and Chief Executive Officer, Mike Duggar, suggests that they will maintain a presence in the area.
“Expanding our services in Kansas City is a huge occasion for our non-profit, ” Duggar said. “While our main office will be located at 1 East Armour Boulevard, we understand the importance of maintaining a strong presence in south Kansas City.”
Along with their physical expansion, the agency plans to expand its services to include Behavioral Health services — with a focus on access to programs for anxiety, depression, and trauma — mirroring the other mental health services offered at their other regional offices and satellite counseling sites across the state. Before, the Kansas City location only offered pregnancy support, parenting education, and adoption services as a wrap-around approach that allowed them to better address the multifaceted needs of the community. But as there became a growing need for mental health services in the community, LFCS found it was time to expand their services.
“The decision to expand our services to Kansas City was driven by the increasing need for comprehensive behavioral health support in the area. While we’ve had a presence there through our adoption program and partnerships with local Lutheran churches, the demand for additional services became evident,” Duggar said. “Our expansion entails bringing our comprehensive behavioral health services to children and youth [ages 3 to 19] in Jackson County. This includes everything from individual and family therapy to prevention and early intervention programs.”
LFCS will now be offering a full comprehensive suite of services with the goal of strengthening families in Kansas City. As they continue to assemble a team of social workers and therapists, recruitment is currently underway for a full-time therapist and birth parent worker. The Director of Regional Development, who spearheads the Kansas City expansion, and the Regional Development Officer will be Trueman Orson and Marilyn Calbert, respectively.
“LFCS saw a growing need in Jackson County and with the help of Jackson County Children’s Services fund, LFCS will offer services on a sliding scale to all residents of Jackson County, “ Duggar said.
LFCS regional offices are located in Franklin County, Columbia, Cape Girardeau, Springfield, Joplin, and Kansas City; and numerous satellite counseling sites.
To learn more about services offered by Lutheran Family and Children’s Services please visit https://lfcsmo.org/
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