Our Community Cares The Guidance Center

Our Community Cares

words Catherine Frederick with Rusti Holwick, CEO, The Guidance Center

The Guidance Center (also known as Western Arkansas Counseling & Guidance Center) opened its doors fifty years ago to provide quality services for men, women, and youth suffering from mental, emotional, and substance use disorders. They are a nonprofit community behavioral healthcare provider serving the counties of Crawford, Franklin, Logan, Polk, Sebastian, and Scott in western Arkansas.

Fort Smith, Van Buren, Ozark, Booneville, Paris, Waldron, Mena Emergency After-Hours Crisis Line: 1.800.542.1031 Main Line: 479.452.6650 Non-Emergency Warm Line: 479.452.6655 wacgc.org

Next month, we’ll showcase another worthy nonprofit in our area free of charge. We will accept requests for this free page beginning in October, 2022. Send questions to catherine@dosouthmagazine.com. DS: Tell us about some of the services you offer. TGC: We offer outpatient individual, group and family therapy, case management, school-based, and addiction services. We can also provide psychological testing. The Guidance Center’s goal is to contribute positively to making our communities healthier and to provide holistic care to persons who need hope, recovery, and a path to wellness. To this end, we have various programs and services for adults, which include the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), 5 West Crisis Stabilization Unit, NEW Beginnings Adult Day Treatment, Drug Alcohol Safety Education Program (DASEP), and Intensive Day Treatment (IDT). In addition, our programs for children and adolescents include Western Arkansas Therapeutic Children’s Homes (WATCH), which is therapeutic foster care. Also serving youth in foster care, The Fostering Change Program and Residential Care at Robin’s House are home-like group treatment centers. Addiction services include Medication-Assisted Treatment for opioid addiction. Finally, our new primary care clinic offers holistic care for physical health. We are here to help heal the whole you—body and mind.

DS: How can clients pay for these services? TGC: The Guidance Center serves all clients regardless of their ability to pay. We accept Arkansas Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance (policy permitting), and self-pay. The Guidance Center offers discounts for essential services depending upon your family size and income. Some clients who cannot pay may come in our door seeking help and have no insurance. In this situation, we help fill out the paperwork to get them enrolled into a healthcare plan. There shouldn’t be any financial barriers preventing someone who needs our help from getting it.

DS: Tell us what you see ahead for TGC. TGC: Our growth is always a result of meeting the needs of the communities we serve. We recently expanded our capabilities to raise the bar of care by becoming an eligible Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). CCBHC is nationally known as the new Gold Standard of Care. Enhanced services such as mobile crisis, targeted case management, peer services, and many efforts to help divert people from a crisis, jail, emergency rooms, hospitalizations, and worsening health conditions. We continue to have a no-wrong-door policy and help meet people where they are in their unique situation. We are here to help people in need of hope and recovery. Our workforce is vital to us, and we are continuing to grow and train skilled professionals across our region.

DS: How can our community help to support The Guidance Center? TGC: Financial support from our community is welcomed and very much appreciated! If you are interested in learning more or donating to one of our various programs, please call us at 479.452.6650.