The BARK blog is brought to you by a consortium of non-profit and for-profit organizations active in Missouri communities. Here’s a look at our member organizations.

Crider Health Center

Crider Health Center was formed 30 years ago to serve the mentally ill. In 2007, Crider became a Federally Qualified Health Center and, today, its 250-person staff provides primary healthcare, dental and pediatric services to individuals who have no health insurance, are underinsured, or who have an income at or below poverty level in St. Charles, Franklin, Lincoln and Warren counties. Crider’s vision is full, productive, healthy lives for everyone.

Mid-America Head Start

Mid-America Head Start and Early Head Start serve more than 2,700 infants, toddlers and preschoolers in Missouri’s Clay, Jackson and Platte counties. They are dedicated to improving the well-being of low-income families by working with each family to identify their specific needs. In 2005, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) named Mid-America Regional Council as the lead grantee for the Head Start program in the three Missouri counties in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Missouri Association for Social Welfare

Founded in 1901 in St. Louis as the Missouri Conference on Corrections and Charities, the Missouri Association for Social Welfare began as a statewide professional forum for philanthropists, government employees of human services agencies, and private-charity professionals. Today, the Missouri Association for Social Welfare is a statewide non-profit organization, based in Jefferson City, Missouri, with nearly 1,000 members. In recent years, the organization has helped enact mental health parity legislation, an increase in the state minimum wage, and reforms at the Department of Corrections.

Molina Healthcare

Molina Healthcare is a leader in providing quality healthcare to those who depend on government assistance. Founded in 1980, Molina has grown to become one of the most experienced managed healthcare companies in the country and its commitment to its patients and health-plan members has made it a national leader in providing affordable healthcare to families and individuals. Molina works with Medicaid and Medicare, among other government programs, and currently provides healthcare assistance to approximately 1.4 million members in ten states.

St. Louis Housing Authority

The St. Louis Housing Authority is a federally funded agency, operating independently of city government, which administers low- and moderate-income public housing programs for the city of St. Louis. The Authority receives funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The housing authority serves as contract administrator for HUD, determines eligibility for HUD programs, approves low-income housing units using housing quality standards, provides housing assistance payments to owners on behalf of Section 8 participants, and monitors program performance and compliance.