Who We Are

Independence Center is a community-based rehabilitation program for adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses in the St. Louis area, built on the Clubhouse model of psychosocial rehabilitation. What is this exactly? Click on the links below to learn more.

Mission

Our mission is to provide all the services and resources a person with a serious and persistent mental illness needs, to manage their symptoms, find belonging and purpose, and gain the independence to live a healthy, quality life.

Vision

Our vision is to become a nationally recognized leader in behavioral healthcare, eradicate the stigma of mental illness, and inspire a mental healthcare movement across the nation.

Values

Inspiring through Community, Dignity, and Purpose.

Advocacy

Independence Center was founded by friends and family of adults with severe mental illness. They recognized a great need for community-based programming, a need that was not being met. They tenaciously sought funding and support, and vigorously worked towards creating that which was not then available – efforts that have resulted in countless lives being changed through the Center since 1981.

With the changes and current trends in legislation and funding, advocacy for ourselves and on behalf of our loved ones with mental illness is more important than ever. We must all be willing to aggressively inform legislators and other decision makers that, with proper psychiatric care, people with mental illness can recover to live self-fulfilling and productive lives.

To find the names and contact information of your legislators, click the link below. After entering your nine-digit (zip+4) zip code, click the “Lookup Legislators” bar. The names of all your elected officials will be listed and you can access each one’s contact information.

https://www.senate.mo.gov/legislookup/default.aspx

Impact Report & Financials

Please click here to download Independence Center’s 2023 Impact Report to the Community. For a complete listing of revenues and expenses and related to specific agency programs, please click here for the agency’s most recent financial audit. Click here to view our most recent IRS 990 Form.

Please Note: These files are quite large and could take a few moments to download.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

For over 40 years Independence Center has worked to create an inclusive environment where everyone is seen authentically as who they are. We are committed to being a welcoming, supportive space where individuals are seen and valued in all their complexity. This includes members of our community who identify as transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming, or intersex. We are dedicated to providing opportunities to educate our community about the effects of stigma, marginalization, discrimination and oppression. Especially in this current political environment, we affirm that every person should have the expectation of respect, compassion, and acceptance. We will continue to celebrate the rich diversity people of all backgrounds and identities provide and the perspectives that make us all better.

Our mission has always been to eradicate the stigma associated with mental health disorders. We invite our elected officials to utilize the resources available to them to better understand how mental health disorders affect Missourians. We also encourage lawmakers to review current medical information about gender identities, mental health disorders, autism spectrum disorders and how each is treated under the specialized care of health professionals. We believe that statements and policies designed to target marginalized populations cause direct harm and increase rates of death by suicide.

We offer our support to providers who, based on the best practices of compassion and care, meet the needs of their patients, day in and out. We offer support to parents and families who are navigating life with children who only want to live their best life. We commit to always standing with those who are dedicated to inspiring lives through community, dignity and purpose.

What is a Clubhouse?

Governance

History

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