Main Offices
Phone: 573.582.1234
Toll Free: 1.866.401.6661
Fax: 573.582.1212
Crisis Line: 1.800.833.2064
Youth Services
Phone: 573.581.7887
Toll Free: 1.866.581.7887
Fax: 573-581.1026
East Central Missouri Behavioral Health Services...Arthur Center
About Arthur Center
Arthur Center is a not-for-profit behavioral health care provider incorporated as East Central Missouri Behavioral Health Services, Inc. Arthur Center began as a Community Health Center more than 35 years ago. Since then Arthur Center has expanded its services to include three branch locations: Mexico Outpatient Services, Mexico Options Unlimited and Fulton Options Unlimited.
Arthur Centers mission is to partner with the people we serve including their families, local communities and other human service organizations in providing quality behavioral health services. Our vision is to empower our clients to pursue their hopes and dreams in partnership with their families, community and other human service providers.
Brief History of Arthur Center
In 1961, a group of concerned local citizens were becoming increasing concerned about the number of children being removed from the community and being hospitalized at Fulton State Hospital in Fulton, MO for a period of several months to several years. Mrs. Walter Staley and several other Mexicoans’ approached the Missouri Mental Health Commission asking the Department of Mental Health to take responsibility for this serious situation. This was the beginning of the Audrain County Child Guidance Clinic in January 1961. It was initially staffed by a psychiatric social worker from Fulton State Hospital who began on a one-day-per-week basis. With the passage of the Community Mental Health Center Act (P.L. 88-164) in 1963, and the advent of more effective psychiatric medications, treatment of persons with mental illness began to move out of institutions into the community. In January 1966, Woodrow Lee, the new administrator of Audrain Medical Center had a vision to develop mental health services and obtained a grant from the Department of Mental Health to pay for a consulting psychologist one day per week. Shortly thereafter, a federal grant was obtained to build the Community Mental Health Center on land donated by
Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Arthur and in 1967 the building project began.
The new community mental health center was named East Central Missouri Community Mental Health Center and was the first private, federally-funded community mental health center in the country, dedication was in June 1969. It included an inpatient unit, outpatient services, day treatment, 24-hour emergency service, medical floor consultation and community education and was a model center for the rest of the country. The center served the counties of Audrain, Callaway, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls and Monroe with Jack Viar as the first Director and Zaki Ajans, M. D., became the first Medical Director. In 1980, the federal government block granted the community mental health funding to the states. During this time, the center became the Administrative Agent for the Division of Comprehensive Psychiatric Services. Margery Gantt, a local advocate of mental health was appointed to the Mental Health Commission eventually becoming Chairperson in 1985. Hank Milius became the Director in 1987 and under his leadership, the Center continued to grow until, by the late 1990’s, there were offices in Moberly, Macon, Fulton, Jefferson City and Columbia.
In 1992, in honor of J.B. Arthur, the Center was renamed, Arthur Center and became a regional mental health provider offering a comprehensive set of services including both mental health and substance abuse counseling. A new facility was dedicated in 1997 including a new day area for the adult and adolescent inpatient units. With the decline of the local economy, the advent of managed care and financial pressures on Audrain Medical Center and Arthur Center led to a series of events that culminated in the decision of the hospital to reduce its financial risk. In 2000 Arthur Center found it necessary to close the adolescent inpatient unit and clinics outside Arthur Center’s original catchment area. In April 2002, the AMC Board of Directors decided to divest the Arthur Center and sought to sell it to a larger behavioral health network retaining only the inpatient adult unit.
In May 2002, a group of local citizens including Dan Erdel, Margery Gantt, Zaki Ajans, Mike Bunge, Ann Wilkerson, Wade Spence and Terry Mackey decided to form a not-for-profit corporation, East Central Missouri Behavioral Health Services, seeking to retain local control of the Arthur Center. In a competitive bidding process, this new entity was awarded the Administrative Agent Contract and with the help of four local banks and loan guarantees by the U.S.D.A. Rural Development. Operations began in January 2003 under the name of Arthur Center. The center was relocated in July 2003 to its current location at 321 W. Promenade, Mexico, Missouri, and continues to operate as a community mental health center today.
In April 2009, Arthur Center began operations of a community transition program in Fulton, MO called Hope Center. This program is a partnership with Fulton State Hospital and provides transition services to persons who have issues that are barriers to returning to the community. Some of these include a history of failed community integration, co-occurring developmental disabilities or substance addiction, sexual offense history, forensic status, and complicated health care needs. The program serves up to 16 persons and is located on the campus of Fulton State Hospital. The first program director was Wade Spence, LCSW who developed the program that now employs approximately 20 people.
Throughout these changing times, Arthur Center continues its mission to “partner with the people we serve, their families, communities and other social service organizations to provide quality behavioral health services.” We currently serve approximately 3,800 persons annually and employ nearly 100 people who work together to promote recovery in the lives of the people we serve.
Arthur Center is a not-for-profit behavioral health care provider incorporated as East Central Missouri Behavioral Health Services, Inc. Arthur Center began as a Community Health Center more than 35 years ago. Since then Arthur Center has expanded its services to include three branch locations: Mexico Outpatient Services, Mexico Options Unlimited and Fulton Options Unlimited.
Arthur Centers mission is to partner with the people we serve including their families, local communities and other human service organizations in providing quality behavioral health services. Our vision is to empower our clients to pursue their hopes and dreams in partnership with their families, community and other human service providers.
Brief History of Arthur Center
In 1961, a group of concerned local citizens were becoming increasing concerned about the number of children being removed from the community and being hospitalized at Fulton State Hospital in Fulton, MO for a period of several months to several years. Mrs. Walter Staley and several other Mexicoans’ approached the Missouri Mental Health Commission asking the Department of Mental Health to take responsibility for this serious situation. This was the beginning of the Audrain County Child Guidance Clinic in January 1961. It was initially staffed by a psychiatric social worker from Fulton State Hospital who began on a one-day-per-week basis. With the passage of the Community Mental Health Center Act (P.L. 88-164) in 1963, and the advent of more effective psychiatric medications, treatment of persons with mental illness began to move out of institutions into the community. In January 1966, Woodrow Lee, the new administrator of Audrain Medical Center had a vision to develop mental health services and obtained a grant from the Department of Mental Health to pay for a consulting psychologist one day per week. Shortly thereafter, a federal grant was obtained to build the Community Mental Health Center on land donated by
Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Arthur and in 1967 the building project began.
The new community mental health center was named East Central Missouri Community Mental Health Center and was the first private, federally-funded community mental health center in the country, dedication was in June 1969. It included an inpatient unit, outpatient services, day treatment, 24-hour emergency service, medical floor consultation and community education and was a model center for the rest of the country. The center served the counties of Audrain, Callaway, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls and Monroe with Jack Viar as the first Director and Zaki Ajans, M. D., became the first Medical Director. In 1980, the federal government block granted the community mental health funding to the states. During this time, the center became the Administrative Agent for the Division of Comprehensive Psychiatric Services. Margery Gantt, a local advocate of mental health was appointed to the Mental Health Commission eventually becoming Chairperson in 1985. Hank Milius became the Director in 1987 and under his leadership, the Center continued to grow until, by the late 1990’s, there were offices in Moberly, Macon, Fulton, Jefferson City and Columbia.
In 1992, in honor of J.B. Arthur, the Center was renamed, Arthur Center and became a regional mental health provider offering a comprehensive set of services including both mental health and substance abuse counseling. A new facility was dedicated in 1997 including a new day area for the adult and adolescent inpatient units. With the decline of the local economy, the advent of managed care and financial pressures on Audrain Medical Center and Arthur Center led to a series of events that culminated in the decision of the hospital to reduce its financial risk. In 2000 Arthur Center found it necessary to close the adolescent inpatient unit and clinics outside Arthur Center’s original catchment area. In April 2002, the AMC Board of Directors decided to divest the Arthur Center and sought to sell it to a larger behavioral health network retaining only the inpatient adult unit.
In May 2002, a group of local citizens including Dan Erdel, Margery Gantt, Zaki Ajans, Mike Bunge, Ann Wilkerson, Wade Spence and Terry Mackey decided to form a not-for-profit corporation, East Central Missouri Behavioral Health Services, seeking to retain local control of the Arthur Center. In a competitive bidding process, this new entity was awarded the Administrative Agent Contract and with the help of four local banks and loan guarantees by the U.S.D.A. Rural Development. Operations began in January 2003 under the name of Arthur Center. The center was relocated in July 2003 to its current location at 321 W. Promenade, Mexico, Missouri, and continues to operate as a community mental health center today.
In April 2009, Arthur Center began operations of a community transition program in Fulton, MO called Hope Center. This program is a partnership with Fulton State Hospital and provides transition services to persons who have issues that are barriers to returning to the community. Some of these include a history of failed community integration, co-occurring developmental disabilities or substance addiction, sexual offense history, forensic status, and complicated health care needs. The program serves up to 16 persons and is located on the campus of Fulton State Hospital. The first program director was Wade Spence, LCSW who developed the program that now employs approximately 20 people.
Throughout these changing times, Arthur Center continues its mission to “partner with the people we serve, their families, communities and other social service organizations to provide quality behavioral health services.” We currently serve approximately 3,800 persons annually and employ nearly 100 people who work together to promote recovery in the lives of the people we serve.
