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History of Vera French

• Established in 1949, the Scott County Mental Health Center was one of three outpatient psychiatric clinics formed in Iowa in response to the 1946 National Mental Health Centers Act providing diagnostic and referral services for those unable to afford private care.
• In 1967, the Center began to provide the five essential mental health services to the community, including outpatient, day treatment, inpatient, emergency, and consultation services. In 1969, with over $400,000 in community support, applied toward a matching federal construction grant and with Mercy Hospital (now Genesis Medical Center) offering available land on their campus, the current Center facility opened in February 1972. The professional staff had grown from twelve to twenty-seven full-time positions. Fifty volunteers complement the Center's work.
• The Center expanded its programming to include residential care, halfway house services, drug and alcohol abuse services, and community support programming for the chronically mentally ill. Financing moved from "public" to "public/private" as Federal and State government transferred responsibility back to the local community.
• Vera French, M.D., Ph.D., was acknowledged for her leadership and contributions by renaming the Center in her honor in 1982. Dr. French served as the Director from 1968 until her retirement in 1980. Under her leadership, the community, the Center Board of Directors, and the staff turned dreams of developing comprehensive services for the mentally ill into reality.
• The years 1985 through 1989 were marked by significant program expansion when the Vera French Community Mental Health Center (VFc) in cooperation with Scott County, developed community support, case management and vocational services programs. The Center initiated community outreach programs to serve target populations, including elderly, homeless and disadvantaged families.
• In 1985, the Center Board established the Vera French Foundation (VFf), in order to continue its mission in an increasingly complex public and private care delivery system. The mission of the Foundation includes identification and development of multiple funding sources to support the goals of the Center. In 2001, with initial capital committed by the Bechtel Trust, the VFf, in cooperation with VFc, established the School-Based Mental Health Services Program. Today, this program has expanded to serve over 1000 elementary school children and their families in all four school districts in Scott County.
• In 1987, the Center entered into a lease agreement with Scott County, whereby Vera French assumed responsibility for the operation of the Pine Knoll Residential Facility, with Scott County retaining ownership of the property. Pine Knoll offers residential treatment for Scott County residents with persistent mental illness, allowing transition, as appropriate, to community living.
• In 1990, the Center began working with governments and community agencies to address the shortage of affordable low-income housing. Recommendation from this study included the formation of a separate non-profit housing development corporation. The Vera French Housing Corporation (VFh) was formed in October 1994 to assist persons with long term mental illness obtain permanent, affordable housing that is linked to the Center's support services. Since that time, over 115 low-income housing units have been created to serve Scott County residents with serious mental illness.
• Today, the three corporations continue the Vera French mission. While each has its own goals, corporate bylaws and governing board, the respective logos emphasize the interrelatedness to the Vera French mission. Collectively, the Vera French corporations employ just over one hundred fifty staff at six locations throughout Davenport and Bettendorf.