Mission Statement

To provide vital mental health counseling services to all who have a need, regardless of a person's ability to pay, and to expand the accessibility of our services geographically within targeted and underserved areas in St. Louis.

Purpose

To help every person live healthier and more meaningful lives.

Core Values and Beliefs

Whole-heartedness: We believe whole-heartedness is essential in every area of life. It encompasses integrity, authenticity, and vulnerability.

Collaboration: We believe in collaboration because working together strengthens us.

Curiosity: Restless curiosity unleashes boundless creativity and innovation, enhances understanding, and increases knowledge.

Diversity: We value robust diversity, empowering our staff and clients to embrace their full, authentic selves. We always strive to create an atmosphere that welcomes and celebrates uniqueness.

Well-being: We believe in pursuing and promoting well-being in the lives of our colleagues, clients, and community. Well-being is all-encompassing, including our physical, emotional, and spiritual selves.

History

Since 2011, Avenues Counseling has provided services to children, youths, and adults in the 16-county St. Louis metropolitan statistical area, which includes portions of Missouri and Illinois. We provide vital mental health counseling services to all who have a need, regardless of a person’s ability to pay. Avenues Counseling delivers services year-round through general counseling (otherwise known as individual, couples, or family therapy), therapy groups, and a teen-focused intensive outpatient program (IOP). In 2023, we served 840 people from all backgrounds, races and ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, ages, and socioeconomic groups.

Our services expand the accessibility of mental health programs geographically within targeted and underserved areas in St. Louis. Avenues Counseling has in-person service locations in Richmond Heights and Ferguson, Missouri, and we also offer virtual appointments. We also expand access to mental health care and remove financial barriers for those with incomes below the Federal Poverty Level by offering partial and full scholarships for services. In 2023, 83.0% of sessions were delivered as charitable care equal to $598,000 in scholarships and unreimbursed services.

We do not limit the number of sessions a person who receives a scholarship can attend. Avenues’ ability to provide charitable care eliminates barriers and limitations placed on these kinds of services by many other providers due to the complexity of insurance and systems of care. Individuals can reapply for a scholarship as long as there is a continued need for both service and financial support. The IOP approach is innovative because it will be available after school so students do not miss school to get help.

The Need

The relationship between poor mental health and negative life outcomes and the high prevalence of mental health concerns in the St. Louis region emphasizes the urgent need for accessible and culturally sensitive mental health services.

Mental health is essential to people’s overall well-being, but the topic is complex. Poor mental health has varied expressions and there is no single list of causes of mental illness outcomes for untreated mental illness. Like any health issue, the relationships between mental illness and other negative outcomes can be bi-directional and interconnected with multiple social determinants of health. Social determinants of health (SDOH) are conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. Social determinants of health remain a critical focus of contemporary research, with recent studies highlighting their profound influence on mental health outcomes. According to a study by Marmot and Allen (2020), social and economic factors (i.e. social determinants of health), including income, education, and employment, significantly impact mental well-being. In St. Louis, social determinants of health that affect communities with high instances of mental unwellness include lack of access to insurance, transportation, internet, education, and employment. Social determinants of health can also make it difficult to access available care.

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