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Community Initiatives and Resources

Center for Community Connections


The Center for Community Connections supports patients and families in navigating both internal Children’s Mercy services as well as resources in their own communities. The Center for Community Connections staff serve as an extension of the treatment team to support the unique needs of families in our health system. Our ultimate goal is to reduce barriers to accessing and engaging in pediatric health care, thereby improving health outcomes.

The following services are provided at the Center for Community Connections:

  • Social work assessment and assistance with connection to resources including utility assistance, safe housing or homeless services, child care, parenting, transportation and advocacy services.

  • Assistance with accessing programs via completing applications and ensuring applications are being processed, i.e. Kansas City Regional Office, Financial Assistance for DME.

  • KLS Legal Services Clinic at Broadway:
    The legal team helps patients and their families from both Missouri and Kansas with the following priority legal issues.

    • Medical equipment and services denials.
    • Housing (evictions, foreclosures and poor conditions in rental housing).
    • Powers of attorney and guardianships.
    • Orders of protection for intimate partner violence.
    • Denials of public benefits, including SSI and Medicaid.
    • Advice about other legal matters including family law issues such as custody, paternity, child support and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).

      Please contact a Children's Mercy social worker to be referred to the legal team.
  • WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children):
    Helps pregnant women, new mothers and young children learn about nutrition, eating well and staying healthy.

    WIC provides eligible families with:
    • Quality nutrition education and services.
    • Breastfeeding promotion and support.
    • Breast pumps.
    • A monthly food prescription.

      To make an appointment call (816) 404-3659. *Walk-ins appointments available when schedule allows.
  • Social Work Child and Family Therapy Services:
    • Parent-child interaction therapy.
    • Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy.
    • Family therapy.

      Contact the Family Therapy team at (816) 760-8881 to make an appointment.
  • Child safety items (as available).

  • Parents education and support groups.

For additional information, please contact the Center for Community Connections at (816) 960-8430.

Home-Based Family Support Programs


Home-based family support programs including the TIES (Team for Infants Exposed to Substance abuse) and Healthy Families Children’s Mercy programs to partner with families of an infant/expected infant to promote attachment and bonding and build strong parenting skills. Workers meet with families in their homes to provide support and information to help build a strong bond between parents and baby, to address any barriers to health care, to connect families to other community services when needed, and to partner with families to solve problems and reach their goals.

Transition to Adulthood Program


The Transition to Adulthood Program helps prepare young-adult patients to manage their own health care and to successfully transition to the care of adult providers.

Trauma Informed Care


Trauma-informed care is a system-wide approach to understanding, recognizing and responding to trauma. Research demonstrates that the majority of Americans have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. Many people have experienced multiple traumatic events. Trauma impacts each person in different ways and it is important for organizations, including hospitals, to understand this and provided safety, support and resources to staff, patients and families.

For additional information, please contact Patty Davis, Program Manager at (913) 696-5746.

Additional resources

Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline


(800) 392-3738 (When calling inside of Missouri)
(573) 751-3448 (When calling outside of Missouri)

Kansas Protection Report Center


(800) 922-5330 (when calling from inside of Kansas)
www.dcf.ks.gov

Court Appointed Special Advocacy for Children (CASA)


(816) 842-CASA (2272)

2544 Holmes St. Kansas City, MO 64108
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
jacksoncountycasa-mo.org

Safety Alert:


Computer use can be monitored and is impossible to completely clear. If you are afraid your internet use might be monitored, call the Kansas City Metro Domestic Violence Crisis Line at 816-HOTLINE (468-5463).

Everyone deserves a safe and caring home. And when you’re in a relationship that makes you feel bad, your children are hurting too.

Resources and information that may be helpful for families:

KC Metro Domestic Violence Crisis Line


816 HOTLINE (468-5463)
24/7 help line that provides referrals for domestic violence resources.

National Domestic Violence Hotline


Phone advocacy services offered 24/7:
1 800 799 SAFE (7233)
1 800 787 3224 (TTY)
1 855 812 1001 (video phone)

What is domestic violence?
LGBTQ Abuse
What does a healthy relationship look like?

Support for Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence


CMH and partnering agencies work together to provide specialized services and support for patients, family members, and employees who are survivors of domestic violence. Resources include safety planning, counseling, group programs, legal advocacy, financial advocacy, and shelter. These services are free and confidential.

To find out more about this program, talk to your child’s Children’s Mercy health care provider or a Children’s Mercy social worker.

KC Metro Domestic Violence Agencies


These agencies provide resources for domestic violence survivors and their families, including safety planning, counseling, group programs, legal advocacy, financial advocacy, transitional living, shelter, and children’s services.

Hope House


24-hour Crisis Line: (816) 461-HOPE (4673)
hopehouse.net

Mattie Rhodes Center


(816) 471-2536 (west side)
(816) 241-3780 (northeast side)
Phones answered during regular business hours
mattierhodes.org

Newhouse


24-Hour Crisis Line: (816) 471-5800
Telephone: (816) 474-6446
newhousekc.org

Rose Brooks Center


24-Hour Crisis Line: (816) 861-6100
Shelter: (816) 861-3460
Outreach Program: (816) 822-1299
Telephone: (816) 523-5550
rosebrooks.org

Safehome


24-Hour Crisis Line: (913) 262-2868
Toll Free 24-Hour Crisis Line: (888) 432-4300
safehome-ks.org

Synergy Services


(816) 587-4100
Domestic Violence 24-Hour Crisis Line: (816) 321-7050, or 1 (800) 491-1114
Youth Crisis 24-Hour Crisis Line: (816) 741-8700, or (888) 233-1639
synergyservices.org

MOCSA- Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault


24 Hour Crisis Line MO: (816) 531-0233
24 Hour Crisis Line KS: (913) 642-0233
mocsa.org

Jackson County Court House


Survivors of domestic violence (17 or older) can obtain an order of protection by going to the Adult Abuse Department at the Jackson County Court House 8am-5pm Monday-Friday.

415 E 12th Street, 3rd Floor
Kansas City, MO
(816) 881-3974

308 W. Kansas Ave, 2nd Floor
Independence, MO
(816) 881-4555

Children and Domestic Violence


Learn more about children and domestic violence from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network:

Learn about your child’s Amazing Brain from Futures Without Violence.

Adolescent Relationship Abuse

 

Love is Respect


Text LOVEIS to 22522
24-hour crisis line: (866) 331-9474
Go to the website for a 24-hour crisis online chat service

That’s Not Cool


Take a relationship quiz: CoolNotCool

Call 911 if you or a person you know is in immediate danger.

The following crisis lines are available 24 hours/day:



2-1-1 is a national dialing code for free, confidential 24-hour access to thousands of health and human services, such as housing, shelter, food, legal aid, clothing, counseling, utility assistance, health care, transportation and more. During disasters, 2-1-1 also provides important public information that frees up 9-1-1 to handle life-or-death emergencies.

United Way of Greater Kansas City
(816) 474-5112 or toll free at (866) 320-5764

United Way of Greater St. Louis
(314) 421-4636 or toll free at (800) 427-4626

United Way of the Plains
(316) 267-1321