Midwest Special Needs Trust Selects Bianca Farr as New Executive Director 

Midwest Special Needs Trust (MSNT) has selected Bianca Farr as the new executive director. Farr has been serving as interim executive director since the retirement of Kathy Birkes February 2023. Birkes had been executive director since 2016.

“I am honored to work with the Board of Trustees and our team of passionate professionals to empower loved ones and individuals with disabilities as they plan for and strive to achieve a future with greater financial independence and stability,” says Farr.

Midwest Special Needs Trust is an organization with a proud and distinct history. Established in 1989, the Missouri Family Trust (MFT), which does business as Midwest Special Needs Trust, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation authorized by Missouri statue to administer special needs trusts for individuals with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities and their families often live within strict financial parameters and normally would not otherwise have access to special needs trusts to protect their public benefits. MSNT accepts modestly sized trust sub-accounts and bases enrollment fees on a sliding scale for the purpose of providing an affordable pooled trust administration option.

Farr has devoted her career to enhancing the quality of life for people of all abilities; she joined MSNT as associate director in November 2019. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a B.A. in psychology and a master’s degree in social work. Prior to joining MSNT, Farr had a robust career in state government. Her experience includes over 22 years as a mental health professional working with individuals and families with disabilities, as well as policy development for behavioral health programs. Among her many positions, she worked as the director of employment services for the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Division of Behavioral Health. In this role, she managed special projects that promoted the importance of supported employment and financial wellbeing of individuals with mental health and/or substance use disorders.

Board President Cathy Steele says the Board is thrilled that Farr has agreed to serve as executive director. “Ms. Farr’s decades of experience in the field of social service have been dedicated to improving the lives of others,” Steele says. “She has shown herself to be an exceptional leader, and I know she will enable the Trust to serve even more families. We look forward to an era of continued growth, innovation and success under her leadership.”

The success of Midwest Special Needs Trust is the direct result of the vision and persistence of dedicated families who saw a better future for their loved ones with disabilities by using special needs trusts. Their commitment to MSNT and their volunteer service as MSNT board members, education and outreach leaders in their communities, have helped build a solid foundation for MSNT.

“Midwest Special Needs Trust has established itself as a leader in the administration of special needs trusts,” Farr says.  “I look forward to carrying on and expanding upon its legacy of excellence.”