MHB Annual Report | FY22
System of Care
St. Louis Region
The System of Care (SOC) St. Louis is a network of child serving systems, agencies, community organizations, and families focused on the well-being of children and youth with serious emotional conditions and their families. The work of SOC is carried out by the SOC Council, Network of Practice, and a 20-Member Parent Advisory Council. Members of the Parent Advisory Council often serve as ambassadors for SOC sharing their personal stories and experiences navigating the children’s mental health system. According to Rene Murph, SOC Co-Chair and Regional Director for Missouri Families 4 Families, “The purpose of telling your story is to educate, promote positive change, and become empowered.” Parent Advisory Council members are supported by Family Support Partners from Vision for Children at Risk.
Jawanna Hammonds
For Project Year Three, Jawana Hammonds, accepted a promotion from her previous position as the Lead Family Coordinator to the System of Care Project Director. Jawana built a very strong foundation in developing the Family Support Network and applied that same passion and skills to enhancing the overall management of the System of Care St. Louis. Under Jawana’s leadership in just one year, SOC established its first Youth Advisory Council in partnership with BoldMoves, re-established critical case staffing, secured funding for adult mental health services, and expanded referral partners to include Children’s Division and Hopewell.
Family Support Partners have lived experience as a parent or family member of a child with a serious emotional disorder, as well as a deep connection to the St. Louis community. Family Support Partners believe that parents are the experts on their families, which is evident in the empathy and compassion they bring to their work. The SOC Family Support Partners more than doubled their service delivery goals. As demonstrated in the chart, systems partners and community members made 124 referrals that resulted in 224 individuals from 67 families receiving services from the Family Support Partner Network. This is a significant milestone for establishing a children’s mental health system of care that reaches families where they are.
