Conflict Free Beginning

Although established in 2016, MPower’s story began in 1996. When the Department of Mental Health (DMH) began to partner with individual counties to do case management, The Center for Human Services was chosen as one of the first agencies to enter into this pilot program. The idea was that local stakeholders would have better access to, and therefore be able to better serve, members of their own communities. As this program began to show signs of success, more and more counties entered into this arrangement with DMH. The Center for Human Services started doing Targeted Case Management (TCM) in Pettis and Saline Counties with eleven staff members. By 2015, The Center for Human Services’ TCM program employed eighty people and served seven counties.

In 2016 Medicaid changed its rules and stated that Targeted Case Management could not be done within the same agency that provided direct services due to the potential for conflicts of interest. The Center for Human Services was forced to make some very tough decisions. One of those decisions was to release TCM for Pettis and Saline counties from their organization. In January 2016 the Pettis County SB40 Board agreed to take responsibility of TCM. The board hired an Executive Director to administer both Pettis and Saline Counties, and in July 2016 the transition took effect and MPower was born. In 2018 we expanded the scope of our services to include conflict-free case management in Benton and Lafayette counties.

Although MPower was established in 2016, we hit the ground running with an already well-established team. We knew where we had been and where we were going. Our highly qualified staff shared a vision of person-focused services.

Collectively, our team shares a diverse set of backgrounds that add value to the person-centered experience. Some of us have ten-plus years of Service Coordination experience. You can take pride in knowing you will be surrounded by an exceptional team and will receive training from staff via our comprehensive training program focusing on exposure to various tasks and scenarios. The training doesn’t end after your introductory period but is an ongoing support throughout your tenure with MPower.

As legal guardian to many of the individuals who receive services through MPower and the targeted case management, I am always highly impressed and appreciative with the MPower Team, from the Directors, Management Staff and the Service Coordinators.  MPower fosters hope in the individuals they provide for, guides them with person centered care and empowers each individual to be all they can be in reaching for their hopes and dreams.