History

For more than 40 years, Independence Center has provided innovative, quality programs that help more than 1,500 individuals with serious mental illnesses live and work in the community each year. In 1981, there were few community-based programs and nowhere near the resources necessary to meet such an urgent need, yet the Center’s Founders were undaunted. They vigorously launched a series of programs and services that would provide a sense of dignity and purpose to a very underserved portion of our community. As Independence Center’s reputation for quality and innovation grew, it quickly became nationally recognized, as we strove to meet the ever-evolving needs of our community and change hte way St. Louis views our neighbors living with mental illness.