He’Art Mind

Concord Counseling celebrates 40 years in Westerville by giving back to the community

Forty years ago, a group of Otterbein College students and their professor saw a need in their community.

Students and Westerville residents were struggling with the stresses of life, and they didn’t have an easily accessible place to turn. So the small group took the initiative to create that easily accessible place, and opened a fledgling counseling service out of a few Otterbein dorm rooms.

That small venture has since turned into one of the largest outpatient counseling centers in central Ohio.

Concord Counseling Services, located on Brooksedge Boulevard in Westerville, serves close to 3,000 patients who are severely or persistently mentally ill, or who just need help dealing with life, says Executive Director Connie Emerson.

In addition to working with residents in need, Concord has a senior program that plays a significant role in its overall operations. It has also had a partnership with the Westerville City School District for the past 15 years.

Concord’s partners in the central Ohio community include the Dublin Counseling Center and its “Renew” program, as well as the Center for Vocational Alternatives.

“We work with young adults to make sure it is their first and only psychiatric hospitalization,” Emerson says. “The goal is that they will not have a second psychiatric hospitalization. Then we make sure we’re looking at their vocational interests and coping skills.”

Janet Davis, head of the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, served on Concord’s board for nine years. The organization helps make Westerville what it is, Davis says.

“Concord is one of the organizations and services in Westerville that sets us apart from other suburban communities,” she says. “We are a diverse community with services available to for many needs. It is organizations like Concord, WARM, Westerville Public Library, Westerville Symphony, Otterbein University, our school district, nationally acclaimed parks system, city manager form of government and vibrant business community –along with our top city services, including our own water and electric – that make us the 15th best place to live in the country.”

The growth in Concord’s offerings has allowed the organization to grow physically, Emerson says. For the first time in 40 years, Concord is a Westerville property owner, having moved into its current building, complete with two courtyards and large windows, in May.

“For 40 years, we’ve always been a community renter,” Emerson says. “With the economy being what it is, we were able to get our current building for a very good price and arrange financing – all with an eye to the future.”

Concord plans to show off its new location and offerings at a special event Nov. 4, says Ruth Stenberg, director of development and marketing for Concord.

The He’Art of Concord event is an art show and sale to benefit the center and the community’s creativity. It is slated for 5-7 p.m. Nov. 4 at the Concord Counseling Services facility.

“Part of our mission is serving with heart,” Stenberg says. “We celebrate the creativity in all of us. This is an opportunity for people who have used Concord services, as well as friends in the community, to display and sell their art.”

The organization hosted a similar event a few years ago and got amazing feedback from both the community and Concord patients, Emerson says.

“We learned, after the fact, that there was a young client who exhibited her work and felt so good about her response that she got about people coming through, that she later shared with her therapist that she was going to go out that weekend and engage in some risky behavior,” she says. “Because she got so much positive feedback, she decided that maybe she could be an artist. … It really gave her some hope that she could indeed engage her passion for art in her life.”

Gail Martineau is a contributing editor. Comments and feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd. com.