EXPANDING FOR GREATER MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Capital Campaign for West Texas Counseling & Guidance
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
Dear Friends, West Texas Counseling & Guidance (WTCG) has a vision for the Concho Valley: not one more death by suicide. Many of our neighbors struggle daily with depression, anxiety, PTSD, grief, and hopelessness. For some, intense emotional pain can become overwhelming and, if left unaddressed and untreated, have dire consequences for our community.
In 2018, the Tom Green County suicide rates hit the highest levels in recorded history. WTCG’s goal is to keep rates below the state and national averages; however, no suicide should be acceptable. Please, help us work toward zero suicide in the Concho Valley - your gift can help save a life!
Breaking the stigma of mental health in West Texas will allow increased access to services for all. WTCG would like to partner with you to save lives and make a difference in our community. Join us in bringing hope and healing by supporting the WTCG suicide prevention initiatives through education, awareness, prevention, postvention, and open access to mental health services. Please be a Partner in Hope by supporting the following important programs:
• Veteran Services – Help alleviate distress to our veterans and their families. Every day, many of our brave military men and women die by suicide. Not one more.
• LOSS Team (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) – Postvention is prevention. LOSS Team reaches out to those who have lost loved ones to suicide and provides support through the SOS Group (Survivors of Suicide weekly support group). The goal of the LOSS Team is to interrupt the multi-generational impact of risk that survivors often face as a legacy of suicide. Not one more.
• Youth Services – 40% of the clients seen each year by WTCG are children and teens. Our youth deserve a safe place to help them learn how to successfully navigate both the current and future challenges of life. Not one more.
• Client Assistance – WTCG’s sliding scale begins at $0. WTCG realizes that even $10 a session can prevent someone struggling to make ends meet from seeking therapy. The burden of unmet needs can drastically affect mental health. Not one more.
These numbers are not just statistics, but real people who arrive at WTCG in pain and distress: the child who is bullied, the woman recovering from sexual assault, the teenager on the verge of dropping out of school with chronic anxiety, the soup kitchen patron who believes he is “broken,” the unemployed father lacking self-confidence, and the veteran suffering from the hidden wounds and scars of combat. WTCG relies on the generosity of the community and cannot do this important work without you. Your support will bring hope and healing to those who need it most.
With humble gratitude,
Dusty McCoy, LPC-S Executive Director
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of West Texas Counseling & Guidance is to enable individuals and families to reach their full potential in body, mind, and spirit, using evidence-based counseling and educational services.
West Texas Counseling & Guidance provides the highest quality counseling and educational services for all residents of the Concho Valley, utilizing evidence-based practices that are effective, affordable, and promote personal development and independence. The objective of the organization is to help individuals learn to heal themselves in mind, body, and spirit. As a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, WTCG works to ensure that individuals and families seeking mental health treatment have access to counseling services, regardless of their socioeconomic stats or ability to pay.
WTCG is as unique as the clients we serve. Our therapists work with families, couples, and individuals to alleviate distress: offering hope and healing to the community. The scope and range of our services are broad and expansive; last year, our clients ranged in age from three years old to ninety-three years old.
CURRENT STRUGGLES
WTCG’s programs and financial assistance are designed to accommodate the community’s mental health needs; however, the demand is such that WTCG’s locations and staff are at full capacity. As of today, new clients must wait approximately three weeks for an appointment. It is estimated that, in order to meet current demand, WTCG will need an additional 3 full-time therapists, with another 2 to 3 necessary by the end of 2019.
Although WTCG has extended its service hours to include evenings and Saturdays, this has not been enough to meet the demand. To make room for new therapists and programs in San Angelo, WTCG rents additional office space ($4,094 a month in rent) and borrows space from community partners (First United Methodist, St. Paul Presbyterian, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, and the Wesley Soup Kitchen).
WTCG has five therapists (three of whom are play therapists) and six administrative staff at the Magdalen location. The Magdalen location has numerous problems that hinder the therapeutic process of professional counseling, including a cramped waiting room, inadequate parking, and thin walls which present a challenge to maintaining confidentiality. WTCG’s Magdalen location is located directly across from the Central Freshman Campus and has had complaints when students are seen by other students entering and leaving the building.
In San Angelo, WTCG is spread across 6 locations, and their physical distance has brought its challenges to clients and staff. Often, new clients arrive at the wrong location for their first appointment. In addition, it has been challenging to set a schedule for walk-in crisis counseling services with therapists spread across different locations.
SOLUTION
WTCG believes that having a quality, centralized facility would increase demand and further open access to treatment for Concho Valley residents. With the expansion of the three floors, WTCG will be able to provide the necessary space to expand and strengthen its current programs. Also, the addition of the veteran services floor will provide sufficient space for a veteran one-stop/drop-in center.
This space will allow each veteran staff member an individual workspace, affording privacy for service members, veterans, and their family members (MVF). MVF-dedicated therapists will provide veteran-focused counseling and other mental health services. Space will also be used by other area veteran service organizations so that MVF can access necessary services without having to identify, and then travel to, multiple locations for those services. MVF will have use of the space to socialize and connect with other MVF, developing peer supports that have proven to be highly effective in helping MVF with adjustment to relocation, the transition from military service, or coping with issues related to current or prior military service. There is currently no space like this within a three-and-a-half-hour drive of San Angelo.
Finally, the expansion of the Cactus location provides a convenient and confidential space for clients. The Cactus is located in downtown San Angelo, easily accessible to all of WTCG’s clients, including those of lower socioeconomic status who may rely on public transportation. The Cactus offices are confidential and discreet given the variety of businesses, offices, and apartments housed throughout the building. The building also offers plenty of parking and access to nearby businesses to wait while loved ones receive services.
THE PLAN
11th Floor - New Addition, Phase II: WTCG Veterans Services (including a veterans' one-stop center) and administrative offices.
10th Floor - New Addition, Phase ll: Children's bereavement support group, For Kids' Sake (FKS) parent education course, Psychological Assessment Center (testing for ADHD and Autism), Juvenile Justice Spring Break and Summer Programs, adolescent suicide prevention services, warming kitchen for children's bereavement groups, training space, and observation room for children.
9th Floor - New Addition, Phase ll: Children's therapy services (including play therapy and art therapy), children's bereavement therapy, and child suicide prevention services.
6th Floor - Current Facility, Phase l: Adult mental health/therapy services.
Here is a glimpse of our current headquarters on the 6th floor of the Cactus Hotel.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
ROOM & FLOOR NAMING OPPORTUNITIES
MEMORY WALL & GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
For more information or to schedule an onsight tour, contact Tiffany Talley at tiffanyt@wtcg.us or call 325-262-0055.
Click here to see more about WTCG's efforts for "Expanding for Greater Mental and Behavioral Health."