The streets of downtown Westport usually move at a leisurely pace on Saturday mornings, but as June 7 was the morning of Kansas City’s highly anticipated Pride Parade, Broadway Boulevard came to life well before the sun reached its peak.

Warm smiles greeted those who strolled through the parade lineup in search of their friends, family, and colleagues, all gathered to celebrate 50 years of Pride in Kansas City. It was in this vibrant crowd that Julie Plunkett joyfully walked alongside her daughter.

“This is the second year that my daughter and I have marched the parade together, and that’s just really beautiful,” said Julie. “I’m proud of her and who she is and who she becomes. And I’m not going to hide it.”

Julie’s daughter, Audrey, came out as transgender in 2018. Since then, Julie has learned about gender identity and offered compassionate support.

As the Director of Outpatient School-Based Services for Cornerstones of Care, Julie recognizes the importance of inclusive, identity-affirming care on a professional level too. The therapy room is a safe space for clients like Julie’s daughter to explore who they are without judgement.

“They can play with that — what does it feel like to try this name on, to try that role? It’s about building identity. If we’re not welcoming, inclusive, diverse, they don’t have that opportunity.”

Cornerstones of Care launched its Welcoming, Inclusive, Diverse, and Equitable (WIDE) initiative in 2020 and has since integrated it into all levels of its programs and services. As an organization that is mandated to provide equal care a diverse population, Cornerstones of Care’s WIDE commitment is a requirement, not an option.

This commitment guarantees that Julie’s team and all therapists at Cornerstones of Care provide unbiased support to every child in therapy. After all, they may be the only support system a child has.

“So often we can be that one voice for them that allows them to be real, to be honest and to be who they are,” said Julie. “The therapy room is the only place they have that they can safely try on who they want to become and who they really are.”

Julie has offered outpatient therapy services in a traditional office setting, but Cornerstones of Care takes an extra step to provide accessible school-based services so students can easily translate their learned skills into their daily environment.

“So many people don’t get services because it’s cost prohibitive or time prohibitive. When we embed therapy into schools, the kids are already there. That burden is lifted from families.”

Thanks to the Early Childhood Mental Health Collective, Cornerstones of Care team membersare now available on-site at five early childhood centers in the KC metro. This project marks an important step forward in preventative mental health services.

The project is funded through an $8 million grant from the Anchors of Tomorrow Fund, and it gives Julie’s team the unique opportunity to develop a new model of care that shapes best practices for early childhood mental health services.

“It’s not just about providing therapy — it’s about setting standards. What is quality for kids this age? If we can get them now, we’ll save so much effort down the road.”

Children in the early education centers grow up learning healthy, trauma-informed language and interactions that they can carry with them throughout their whole life. Julie explained that this approach is grounded in the trademarked model known as Conscious Discipline, which helps create safe, supportive environments where kids can thrive.

This kind of early intervention not only supports individual children, but it sets the tone for entire classrooms, families, and communities. As for Julie, that ripple effect starts with how she leads her team.

“I think my view of leadership is — who I am as a parent, as a person, as a therapist — they all inform who I am as a leader.”

Julie doesn’t see her professional identity as separate from who she is. Instead, she draws strength from all her personal and professional experiences and channels that into how she shows up for others.

“If I think of myself as a leader, it’s how do I support you to shine? Just like I would with my clients, I want to do as my team members.”

Julie’s journey as a mother, therapist, and leader are all rooted in the same unwavering belief that every person deserves the chance to be included, supported, and celebrated for who they are. Whether she’s walking beside her daughter in the Pride Parade or guiding a child through therapy, Julie shows up with empathy and courage.

Like many Cornerstones of Care team members, her lived experience helps shape a more welcoming future for all the KC area children and families in her care.