New Organization Will Expand Mental Health Services for St. Louis Seniors
October 7, 2019 (St. Louis, MO) — Provident Behavioral Health and Mary Ryder Home, two St. Louis nonprofits that have been serving the community for a combined 250 years, are joining to provide a greater impact in our region. The agencies have chosen to make this move because together, they will have increased capacity to fulfill a shared mission of providing exceptional behavioral health services to those in our community who need it most.
“St. Louis’s senior population is rapidly increasing, a change that has an impact on our entire community. Provident and Mary Ryder Home began exploring options for addressing this issue together over a year ago and are excited to move forward,” said Kevin Drollinger, president and executive director of Provident. “This new partnership creates a platform for expanded services beyond what we could have done independently. We’re enhancing our skills, adding to our core competencies, and addressing community needs.”
The agreement was finalized on October 1, 2019, and Mary Ryder Home is now a part of Provident Behavioral Health. Leadership teams and boards will be combined. (Visit providentstl.orgfor full list.) All employees will be retained.
Provident currently serves over 3,000 people in the St. Louis region through their Counseling and Afterschool programs as well as tens of thousands more in Missouri and across the US via their 24/7 Crisis Lifeline. They also manage FeelingKindaBlue.org, a peer-to-peer social networking site.
Mary Ryder Home provides a residence to 65 St. Louis senior women, offering them safety and support while meeting their mental and physical needs.
“Our agencies share many things: A long history of successful nonprofit work, a dedication to caring for those in the St. Louis community who need it most, and a focus on behavioral health. Both provide a human connection that improves lives,” said Kelly Dolan, board president for Mary Ryder Home.
There were several reasons for the agencies’ decision to join together:
There is a growing need to for senior mental health care in St. Louis Census figures from 2014 show the St. Louis area had the eighth highest percentage of older people in the country, at 14.9 percent. But by 2045, a quarter of the region’s population will be 65 or older.
Seniors face unique mental health challenges that require skilled service providers From bereavement to financial changes to loss of mental and physical function, this is a population that can especially benefit from behavioral health care.
We are both experts in our fields Provident and Mary Ryder Home have been successfully serving the St. Louis community for 250 years. They have an unrivaled pool of knowledge that will inform both agencies.
About Provident Behavioral Health
Serving the St. Louis area since 1860, Provident Behavioral Health is an accredited, nonprofit United Way member agency that builds brighter futures through exceptional behavioral health services, especially for those with the greatest need. They served nearly 81,000 individuals last year in the St. Louis region, throughout Missouri, and across the United States.
About Mary Ryder Home
Mary Elizabeth Ryder founded Mary Ryder Home in June 1930, along with a group of concerned St. Louis citizens who witnessed first-hand the devastation the Great Depression caused, especially for women who were abandoned, homeless, and without support. Serving the community for nearly 90 years, they are a United Way member agency that provides a safe haven for St. Louis’s most vulnerable senior women, nourishing their social, physical and emotional needs, and enhancing their quality of life through compassionate care.
####
PR Contact:
Amanda Galloway
Amanda@amandacookpr.com
314-598-0544