THE GUIDANCE CENTER IS EXPANDING THEIR OPERATIONS TO BE THERE WHEN YOU NEED THEM

TERESA BERTSCH, MD

Chief Medical Officer at The Guidance Center

Exciting things are happening at The Guidance Center (TGC).

TGC is ready to be“here when you need us!” with the addition of new and vital services for the community During the pandemic, when over 90% of TGC’s services moved to telehealth, we were busy doing a major remodel and refresh of all our buildings on the TGC Flagstaff campus including our psychiatric hospital residential programs, outpatient clinics and onsite retail pharmacy We also have added multiple specialty services for pregnant women, infants and children.

We now have a dedicated child and adolescent building with beautiful community rooms that house our newly awarded Center of Excellence for Autism With this designation by Care1st and Health Choice Arizona health plans, TGC is able to provide comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic services to children and teens who have autism or are at-risk We have two Board-Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists and two psychologists who can evaluate and test for all other childhood disorders as well Our Board-Certified Behavior Analysts can provide in-home and in-school Applied Behavior Analysis assessments to create individualized treatment programs for children and youth so that they can take full advantage of educational opportunities and have a loving and satisfying home life.

TGC was awarded a grant from The NARBHAInstitutetostart“Moms&BabiesFirst”,our signature maternal mental health program using evidence-based practices for pregnant women and their infants through the first year of life. The perinatal period is time-limited and intense Delays in care or inappropriate care can leave lasting negative results on fam- ilies and babies, such as trauma, suicide, poor attachment, death, developmental delays, family discord and ultimately higher human and healthcare costs Moms & Babies First, which started March 6, provides early identification, prioritization of appointments, evidence-based services delivered by specially trained clinicians and peer support, coordination of services oversight of each Mom & Baby’s care team, a focus on outcomes and clinical support for maternal health and pediatric providers We hope to become a regional center for maternal health and pediatric providers to refer their vulnerable Moms and Babies for behavioral health and substance use care Through our collaboration with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Lullaby Project, each Mom will be able to work with a professional musician to produce a recorded original lullaby about their hopes and dreams to enhance bonding and joy Guaranteed that there won’t be any dry eyes at that concert!

In December,with assistance from CoconinoCountygrantfunds,TGCacquired astate-of-the-artmobileclinicvanthat can provide confidential onsite and telehealth integrated care services across the county It will regularly be going to Williams and the surrounding areas It will also be used for disasters crises or areas in need of additional supports

TGC accepts all insurances and has a sliding fee scale as well. We provide a full continuum of onsite and telehealth behavioral health and primary care services We would love to have you come work for us if you are interested in making a valuable contribution to our community Please give us a call at 928-527-1899 or visit us at www tgcaz.org to see how we might be able to support you on your journey to leading a fulfilled life We want to be here for you when you need us

It’s overwhelming when your life is turned upside down from a natural disaster, or other emergency situation.

We provide a full range of services from general mental health counseling for everyday stressors to inpatient psychiatric hospital for acute psychiatric emergencies. We provide care to all ages. Care managers, therapists, program supports, and peer supports work together to provide individualized care to children, adults, and families.

The Guidance Center is here for you!