In a new collaboration, Vera French Community Mental Health Center now is offering its community-based mental health services at The Center – Love in Action in Davenport.
The Center, located at 1411 Brady St., is affiliated with the community outreach efforts of St. John’s United Methodist Church. It shares a building with the Skate Church atop Brady Street. “We are thrilled to have Vera French as a tenant and collaborator here at The Center,” Penny Kellenberger, The Center’s executive director, said in a news release. “Through our outreach efforts, we see people each day who could improve their own lives if only they could be connected with mental health services.
“Having compassionate and caring members of the Vera French team right on our second floor has already made amazing connections for the people we serve,” she added.
Founded in 1949 as the Scott County Mental Health Center, Vera French collaborates with community partners to advance mental health for all and deliver high-quality, accessible healthy living solutions.Today, Vera French serves as an independent community mental health center for a five-county region including the Quad Cities.
Although Vera French is not affiliated with any religious group or domination, leaders say they are welcoming the new partnership with the Center.
“The Center – Love in Action does a great job helping members of our community each day,” said Vera French CEO Dr. Richard Whitaker Jr. “For those seeking to improve their mental health, Vera French being available onsite seemed like a natural partnership in order to increase access to our lifesaving services.”
According to Vera French, it specializes in achieving positive mental health outcomes, especially for individuals living with the day-to-day realities of serious mental illness including the loss of employment and income, deteriorating health, homelessness, and strained family relationships.
In early 2023, a Vera French Foundation grant supported the renovation of two private office spaces within The Center – making Vera French a tenant there.
“At Vera French, we recognize that every person’s experience with mental illness is unique, and that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to recovery,” Vera French Chief Operating Officer Denise Beenk said in the release.
“Oftentimes, taking the first step to recovery can be the hardest, so we innovate and adapt to engage people in places they already gather each day,” she added. “For this reason, the caring and supportive environment of the Center – Love in Action was a perfect place to co-locate Vera French services.”
Also earlier this year, Vera French hired Barbara Robinson-Lagarde, MSW, a community-based therapist who maintains weekday morning office hours at The Center. “Just like every person is different, so is every person’s recovery story,” she said. “The most important thing is to be available and open to listening when a new client is ready to talk about their personal situation.”
The Center – Love in Action is currently engaged in fundraising and grant writing efforts to upgrade its IT infrastructure and internet capacity to improve the connectivity of Vera French and other service providers located there.
More information about The Center – Love in Action is available on their Facebook page or their website at http://www.thecenter-davenport.com/.
