Family Service and Children’s Aid Family Counseling Program is nationally accredited, comprehensive mental/behavioral health program designed to improve emotional health by alleviating personal and interpersonal problems that create distress or impair functioning in the family. Counseling services address all types of circumstances: parent-child alienation, child behavior problems, child abuse and neglect, grief to loss, marriage conflicts, substance abuse, depression, and work/life issues. Counseling services can focus on reducing depression and anxiety, promoting health from trauma and neglect, and teaching interpersonal skills to improve lives. Master’s degree level clinicians meet with clients and their families to accomplish client-centered treatment goals. All treatment is customized according to specific individual and family needs. The duration and frequency of treatment varies as it is based on the client’s and family’s needs, not his/her ability to pay. Counseling session may involve an individual, couples, or families.
As managed health care has challenged the mental health field to provide treatment more effectively over a shorter amount of time, FSCA has worked to maintain comprehensive assessment and high quality treatment services without ending needed services prematurely. FSCA brings over 70 years of experience to the development of a strong comprehensive mental health program which is affordable, accessible, and most importantly, effective in building strong Jackson families by meeting Jackson County’s emotional health care needs.
This past year both medical and mental health care underwent national reform. Although hypothetically all citizens should have insurance this has not been the case thus far. Not only do we continue have demands for the uninsured, but the copays and spend down expectations are unrealistic for many clients seeking services. Demand for services outweighs capacity. The program continues to maintain a waitlist for services, especially for those that are uninsured and under insured. FSCA has addressed the need for services by training and supervising limited license masters level clinicians and master level interns from neighboring universities (i.e. Michigan State University (MSU), Eastern Michigan University, and the University of Michigan).
Here is just one example of the many success stories that happen everyday as a result of Family Counseling Program through Family Service & Children’s Aid. John came to their agency two years ago desperately seeking treatment. At the time, he entered treatment he was homeless. Three years previous, this client was in a severe car accident and was unable to work. His wife divorced him. He lost his home of over twenty years. He went to Lifeways and was refused services, because he did not meet their criteria. He was able to see a skilled therapist with an excellent background in trauma-focused treatment. Through counseling, John was able to identify resources to stabilize his life and begin to unravel the severe and chronic mental illness that destroyed his marriage and restricted him from working in most normal settings. At times he walked over ten miles to come to counseling. Even though he still does not have a permanent home, he is able to make and execute plans for housing. He is working more, and feels he has made some changes to manage his mental illness. Without United Way funding to support the uninsured, he would not have gotten services he needed and instead would have continued risking his life and safety.