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Camber Children's Mental Health

Design for a Difference KC Inspires a Healing Makeover for KVC Cottage

residential psychiatric treatment

On February 2, 2018, volunteers, donors, community partners and KVC employees gathered at KVC Prairie Ridge Hospital in Kansas City, Kan. to complete an extreme makeover of the first of three cottages that house our psychiatric residential treatment program on campus. This first cottage serves preadolescent children agest 5-12 receiving psychiatric residential treatment. Youth staying in our cottages and receiving 24-hour clinical care have experienced major depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, substance abuse disorders, mental illness or other behavioral health issues.

The cottages on campus provide a safe, comfortable and therapeutic environment for these youth who typically remain in care for 45-60 days of treatment. While the number of licensed beds at youth Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities in the state has decreased by 65% during 2011-2017 from an original 780 to just 272 beds, KVC is pleased that Kansas City’s community of donors chose to reinvest in these critical services for children.

Thanks to Design for a Difference KC, generous donors, and volunteers, KVC was able to make major improvements to the interior of the Kiely cottage. Exterior improvements including landscaping will occur in the Spring of 2018.

Improvements include:

  • Comprehensive cottage update – Updates include new safety windows, durable and attractive flooring, energy efficient lighting, child-friendly furniture and wall finishes throughout the main living space and bedrooms.
  • Renovated recreation space – Incorporating a serene landscape in the renovation adds to the outdoor activities offered on KVC’s 75-acre campus and provides mental and physiological benefits that contribute to healing and therapy.
  • Renovated kitchen space – Repurposing the original kitchen into a smaller kitchenette and a separate ‘Learning Lab’ area offers a dedicated space to help children build healthy brains and practice emotion regulation.
  • Personal items – While some children bring belongings from home during their stay, others arrive without. Volunteers stocked the shelves with pillow pets, bedding, bath and beauty products, board games, toys and more for children to enjoy and take with them.

View more photos of the extreme makeover on our Facebook page.

Watch this video from 41 Action News KSHB-TV to learn more about the Kiely cottage makeover:

Last year, KVC Hospitals served 3,492 children and adolescents who struggled with depression, anxiety, trauma, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts and feelings of violence. 97% of youth showed improvements in trauma-related symptoms within the first 7 days of treatment; however, some youth require additional time to achieve treatment goals and will continue treatment in a residential setting. Learn more about KVC’s acute and residential treatment programs here.

Thank you to these generous donors:

Hall Family Foundation | H&R Block Foundation | Cocherl Foundation | John W. & Effie E. Speas Foundation, Bank of America N.A., Trustee | Sarli Family Foundation | KC CAN | Stephanie Stroud Interior Design | Madden McFarland Interiors | Design for a Difference | Sherwin Williams | Shaw Flooring


We are currently seeking additional donations, volunteers and partners to help us improve our cottages for ten boys and teen girls. Please contact Michelle Lawrence at mlawrence@kvc.org if you are interested in partnering, donating or volunteering to help complete facility renovations.