Mercy Family Center

Mercy Family Center's Project Fleur-de-lis (PFDL) is celebrating 20 years of hope and healing. PFDL is a school and community-based mental health program funded by private donations and grants that provides trauma and grief programming, suicide prevention, professional and workforce development, and disaster and crisis response to children, families, mental health professionals, school administrators, and teachers.

On the morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina landed in Louisiana as a Category 3 storm. A few hours later, the Federal levees gave way, flooding 80% of the city of New Orleans. In the weeks after the flood, Mercy Family Center's Dr. Doug Walker created Project Fleur-de-lis in response to the mental health needs of school children in Louisiana.

Louisiana ranks 49th in overall child wellbeing, largely due to high rates of poverty and limited access to health care. Nearly 30% of children aged 3-17 have a diagnosed mental, behavioral, developmental, or emotional problem. Mercy's Project Fleur-de-lis (PFDL) meets these needs by going into schools and community organizations to provide trauma and grief programming, suicide prevention, and disaster and crisis response to children, families, mental health professionals, school administrators and teachers throughout the Greater New Orleans area. 

Mercy's Project Fleur-de-lis provides life-saving mental health care and services right here in our community, and we need your help to continue.

Testimonials

"Project Fleur-de-lis is where I go when I don't know how to solve a problem. They offer me so much love and support and consultation...they are the first ones I turn to." - school social worker