Bowers Center for Children and Families

The Bowers Center for Children and Families in Buffalo, Missouri, has existed without the benefit of grants or subsidies, making its 2004 NHSC Award of Excellence all the more impressive. Sandy Bowers—licensed clinical psychologist, NHSC Loan Repayor, and namesake of the clinic—has maximized her clinic’s outreach to people in rural southwestern Missouri.

By partnering with a local county resource group, the Bowers Center has delved outside its central focus, mental health, by promoting an amalgam of health issues, including dental care, reading groups, and driver’s education for the elderly. Bowers has served on the board of directors for “Mentoring Moms,” which matches mentors with pregnant teens and their partners, providing education about parenting, child care, relationships, and nutrition. The Bowers Center has also provided parenting classes to its clients and the general public. In addition, the center has partnered with local Head Start centers to provide mental health services to children and their families.

These programs caught the 2004 Awards of Excellence judges’ eyes, as did the Bowers Center’s staff team-building and enrichment programs. Bowers was so pleased, she delivered her thanks directly to the NHSC and the Awards of Excellence judges.

“Receiving the NHSC Award of Excellence was a nice pat on the back,” she said. “Thank you for recognizing what we do out here. I'm glad someone noticed. You made my day.”