Collaborative Community Health Needs Assessment.
At the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund, we conducted a collaborative community health needs assessment in 2025, in partnership with Saint Louis Mental Health Board, to better understand what’s needed and what works when it comes to mental and behavioral health care in the St. Louis region. Our assessment, conducted with support from Simply Strategy, includes a comprehensive review of existing data about the region and its services as well as direct engagement with community members about what they feel is most effective. The findings from this assessment will be used to inform our future strategy and investments.
A Regional Collaboration
This needs assessment was conducted in collaboration with Saint Louis Mental Health Board, which serves St. Louis City residents. We compared our findings after meeting with our respective communities and found six themes that we’re committed to addressing together.
Key Themes in St. Louis County.
In listening sessions and interviews with educators, parents, providers, youth and more, 10 themes emerged around what’s needed to improve the behavioral health system in St. Louis County. Learn more about each of them below.
Theme 1: Youth Are Exhausted, But Not Defeated
Theme 2: Social Media and Technology Are Central to the Lives of Youth
Theme 3: Parenting Shapes the Well-Being of Youth
Theme 4: The School-Parent Relationship Is Strained
Theme 5: Education Systems Must Evolve
Theme 6: Safe Places Enable Socialization and Community-Building
Theme 7: Long Delays and Discontinuity Are Harmful
Theme 8: Parents Want More Choice and Easier Access to Diagnostic and Treatment Services
Theme 9: Stigma Has Changed, but not for Everyone
Theme 10: Prevention Is the Best Care
Methodology
More than 300 St. Louisans in four core stakeholder groups informed this community health needs assessment: mental health providers, educators, parents, and youth.
Reports & Data.
- 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment Final Report: Between January and June 2025, we held 30 focus groups and interviews with over 300 constituents from all areas of St. Louis County – Inner North, Outer North, South, Central, and West County. This report details the comprehensive needs identified by the people we spoke with.
- 2024-2025 Community Health Needs Assessment Overview: This overview lists key priorities identified by our constituents.
- Phase 1 Presentation for Collaborative CHNA: A presentation by Simply Strategy of key findings from comprehensive review of existing data on community need in the St. Louis region.
- 2017 Community Health Needs Assessment: This report presents findings of children’s behavioral health services provided for St. Louis County since the creation of CSF through March 2017.
Community Health Needs Assessment Timeline.
- February-September 2024: Phase 1 begins with comprehensive gathering and analysis of existing data for the St. Louis region.
- October 2024: CSF and Simply Strategy invite community members to hear a presentation on data findings and share their feedback.
- February-May 2025: CSF hosts listening sessions with youth, frontline providers, parents/guardians, school staff, and immigrant families to understand what’s needed and what works.
- June-December 2025: CSF and Simply Strategy review findings from listening sessions and compile them into recommendations to inform CSF’s future investment strategy.
A Note of Gratitude.
This community health needs assessment was made possible by the engagement and passion of people who care deeply about youth well-being, especially providers who have dedicated their careers to youth mental health, from prevention to treatment. Special thanks to the parents and educators who gave their time in the evenings to participate. Every aspect of the final report and the themes shared was informed by the youth who participated and shared openly their ideas about the state of youth and recommendations to improve mental health. With the insight, guidance, and expertise of all participants, the research team and CSF developed a report that amplifies community voice and aims to reflect the deep expertise of those who are directly connected to the lives and wellbeing of youth in St. Louis County. All of us at the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund extend our gratitude to all of those who participated in this crucial work, which is guiding next steps for our strategic planning and partnerships.