The Center, Davenport, offers mental-health services through Vera French

The Vera French Community Mental Health Center (VF CMHC) and The Center – Love in Action have announced that Vera French’s community-based mental health services are now available at The Center, 1411 Brady St, Davenport, a news release says.

The Center – Love in Action is affiliated with the community outreach efforts of St. John’s United Methodist Church and shares a building with the Skate Church on Brady Street. “We are thrilled to have Vera French as a tenant and collaborator here at The Center,” said Penny Kellenberger,
executive director of The Center – Love In Action. “Through our outreach efforts, we see people each day who could improve their own lives if only they could be connected with mental health services – having compassionate and caring members of the Vera French team right on our second floor has already made amazing connections for the people we serve.”

Vera French has served as an independent community mental health center (CMHC) for a five-county region including the Quad Cities over the last 74 years. While Vera French has not affiliated with any religious group or domination, they welcome the partnership with the Center. “The Center – Love in Action does a great job helping members of our community each day,” said Vera French CEO – Dr. Richard Whitaker, Jr. PhD. “For those seeking to improve their mental health, Vera French being available onsite seemed like a natural partnership in order to increase access to our lifesaving services.”

Vera French specializes in achieving positive mental health outcomes, especially for individuals living with the day-to-day realities of serious mental illness, which often include loss of employment and income, deteriorating health, homelessness, and strained family relationships.

After a grant from the Vera French Foundation to renovate two private office spaces, Vera French became a tenant of The Center – Love in Action in early 2023. “At Vera French, we recognize that every person’s experience with mental illness is unique, and that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to recovery,” said Vera French Chief Operating Officer (COO), Denise Beenk, MBA, LISW, SHRM-CP. “Often times, taking the first step to recovery can be the hardest, so we innovate and adapt to engage people in places they already gather each day. For this reason, the caring and supportive environment of the Center – Love in Action was a perfect place to co-locate Vera French services.”

Earlier this year, Vera French hired Barbara Robinson-Lagarde, MSW, as a community-based therapist who maintains office hours at The Center – Love in Action each weekday morning. “Just like every person is different, so is every person’s recovery story. The most important thing is to be available and open to listening when a new client is ready to talk about their personal situation.” said Barbara Robinson-Lagarde, MSW.

The Center – Love in Action is engaged in fundraising and grant writing efforts to upgrade its IT infrastructure and internet capacity to improve the connectivity of Vera French and other service providers located there.