Editor’s Note: The Center for Counseling & Consultation is one of several area businesses and services that will be featured Tuesday, Sept. 26, at the 25th annual Great Bend Tribune Women’s Expo. This September tradition takes place from 3:30 -7 p.m. at the Great Bend Events Center, 3111 10th St.
Staff members at The Center for Counseling & Consultation, 5815 Broadway, decided a couple of years ago to get a head start on establishing a new, comprehensive behavioral-health program. They are glad they did.
The Center met a major deadline this summer, earning pre-certification as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic. A CCBHC is a multi-dimensional program that cares for the whole person.
“We are eager to share information about all the new and enhanced services to those who attend the Women’s Expo,” said Julie Kramp, executive director. “This was a monumental task but it is already paying dividends for our clients. And there is more to come before full certification next summer.” Examples of accomplishments that led to pre-certification include: medical-assisted treatment; a Substance-Use Disorder license; housing and employment specialists on staff; care coordination; and a stronger focus on Armed Forces veterans.
“The whole point is to integrate our services to offer a CCBHC, which is a person- and family-centered program designed to ensure access to comprehensive behavioral healthcare,” Kramp explained. “The result is a much broader range of services that address concerns holistically, as we move away from compartmentalization.
“We ask ourselves several questions when interacting with a client,” she continued. “Does the client need a job and/or housing? Is talk therapy and/or medication the answer? Is a physical exam needed? Or all the above? Oftentimes, problems aren’t the result of just one thing.”
Services that will continue include: individual and group therapy; Community-Support Services; Community-Based Services; mindfulness yoga, Mental Health First Aid; tobacco-cessation resources; and printed materials that outline local resources.
#Zero Reasons Why, a teen-led community campaign aimed at reducing the stigma of talking about mental-health issues, is relatively new.
Other services available to young people are psychiatric support and treatment; targeted case management; attendant care; psychosocial programs; parent support; and independent-living skills.
“The Women’s Expo gives us a wonderful forum to spread the word about our services,” Kramp commented. “We encourage our neighbors to become acquainted with who we are and what we do. We welcome anyone who wants to stop by our booth for information.”
The confidential 24/7 crisis hotline number is 800-875-2544.
