Annie Malone Children and Family Services

Annie Malone Children & Family Services Center
The Crisis Placement & Respite Care Program is a short-term, supportive service designed to help families during times of crisis while ensuring the safety and well-being of children and youth. As Annie Malone Children and Family Services’ longest-standing and most widely accessed program, it has been providing essential family-centered support since 2018.

This program offers a safe and structured environment that includes emergency shelter, meals, clothing, educational support, medical care, and access to mental health and community resources. It also provides caregiver relief, family conflict resolution, and referrals for specialized services to address underlying needs contributing to family stress.

The goal of the program is to reduce caregiver stress, strengthen family relationships, and stabilize home environments. By addressing immediate needs and connecting families to long-term supports, the program works to prevent child abuse, neglect, homelessness, and other adverse childhood experiences.

Through compassionate care and individualized support, the Crisis Placement & Respite Care Program helps families regain stability, improve communication, and build healthier parenting practices, ensuring children and caregivers are supported during and beyond times of crisis.

Crisis Program
The Youth and Family Mental Health Program at Avenues Counseling provides a comprehensive continuum of mental health care designed to support young people and their families through life’s challenges. Recognizing that every family’s journey is unique, the program offers multiple pathways to healing, ensuring that each participant receives the right level of care for their specific needs. Families can access traditional individual and family counseling to strengthen relationships and navigate daily obstacles, or participate in therapeutic groups where individuals facing similar challenges can find community and heal together. For youth requiring a more intensive, structured level of care, the program provides specialized Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) tailored specifically for ages 10–12 and 13–17, as well as integrated medication management to support overall well-being.

Central to the program’s mission is the belief that high-quality mental health care should be accessible to everyone, regardless of financial, geographic, or cultural barriers. To ensure equity in care, Avenues Counseling offers financial scholarships so that cost is never a barrier to treatment. The program is proudly staffed by a diverse team of professional counselors who reflect the vibrant St. Louis community, with services fully available in both Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL). Services are accessible through multiple avenues, including in-person appointments at convenient office locations in Ferguson and Richmond Heights, and flexible virtual telehealth sessions.