The St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund (CSF) has awarded Cornerstones of Care a three-year grant to provide school-based training and therapy to three St. Louis County school districts.

The funding for the $750,000 award begins on July 1 and runs until June 30, 2026, and is the first time Cornerstones of Care has received CSF’s Core funding, which is its largest funding allocation. CSF invests in local nonprofits and governmental entities to provide mental and behavioral health services for children and families in St. Louis County through a voter-approved quarter-cent sales tax.

The CSF funding supports the Hazelwood, Parkway, and Mehlville School Districts. Cornerstones of Care’s focus at both Parkway and Mehlville involves working with students who have been suspended, getting them back into the classroom faster, and reducing future suspensions. Cornerstones of Care will provide greater access to therapy for students and families to help with behavioral health, which will lead to reduced suspensions. In the Hazelwood School District, BIST will train, consult, and provide on-site support for teachers, administrators, and staff to help with intervention strategies for students who are struggling with behavioral issues.

The award will provide help with behavioral health issues that will lead to reduced suspensions. The funding provides:

• Behavioral Intervention Support Training (BIST) consultants in 11 Hazelwood School District schools.
• A therapist to work with the Parkway School District
• A therapist to work with the Mehlville School District

“This award has a tremendous opportunity to positively impact the lives of students in these three school districts,” said Cornerstones of Care President and CEO Merideth Rose. “We’ve seen outstanding results from our BIST team and providing greater access to therapists for students and families.”

The Cornerstones of Care funding meets CSF’s mission to improve the lives of children, youth, and families in St. Louis County by strategically investing in the creation and maintenance of an integrated system of care that delivers effective mental health and substance use treatment and prevention services.

Since its inception, CSF has invested more than $550 million in nonprofits and government entities serving St. Louis County kids and families since its first allocation in 2010. It is Missouri’s largest children’s service fund. It is dedicated to connecting children and families to quality, accessible mental and behavioral health services, and treatment.