The Family Counseling Center announces Year-End Appeal to help community members in need
In 1976, a group of community leaders came together with the goal of creating an open, welcoming counseling center able to serve anyone seeking help, regardless of their ability to pay. Today, their organization – The Family Counseling Center of Fulton County – serves over 4,500 clients in Fulton, Montgomery, Herkimer, Hamilton, and many other counties across the Mohawk Valley.
Nationwide, organizations like The Family Counseling Center have seen a 400% increase in demand for services. Emergency rooms, doctors’ offices, police departments, and schools have all seen increased incidents of crisis moments in children – times when a child is threatening to harm either themselves or others. Over the last two years, The Family Counseling Center has sought and received grant awards to expand services to children in crisis, introduce Intake Specialists in order to onboard clients and assess their immediate treatment needs, and more.
This month, The Family Counseling Center is asking for your help. Their year-end appeal seeking to raise funds in order to help it eliminate the waitlist for services and introduce a Same Day Access program, provide case management to children and youth who have suffered a mental health crisis, and the creation of a Food Farmacy.
- Eliminate our waitlist and introduce Same Day Access care:
- Your donations will help ensure the sustainability of the Intake Specialist role. The Intake Specialist, in partnership with our Behavioral Clinic staff will be able to assess and onboard clients within 24 hours of their initial call for care. SDA will allow us to increase access to care, work with children in crisis, and address the increasing need for services in our community.
- Provide case management to children and youth who have suffered a mental health crisis:
- Your donations will allow us to increase the scope and ability this important program.
- Introduce whole-health care through a “Food Farmacy” nutritional program, providing fresh food and produce to our highest needs clients:
- Your donations will be matched with a recent grant from the Cloudsplitter Foundation and allow us to begin the process of creating this program.
“Over the last few years, the community – our partners at schools and police departments – have seen a dramatic increase in crisis calls,” said Michael L. Countryman, Executive Director of The Family Counseling Center. “Our organization has been working to expand services and increase capacity in order to help answer the growing needs of our community. As a nonprofit, The Family Counseling Center puts donations directly toward programs and services. Our donors have a direct impact in the overall wellbeing of our community and creates positive change in the lives of their neighbors.”