Our new fiscal year – 2020 – began on July 1, 2019. Having weathered software changes, new coding and billing changes from the state over the past 1 ½ years, we are approaching the new year with “20-20” vision. We have served our community since 1963…56 years and our hope is that we will continue the needed work we do for another 50. Our hope is based on continued signs of growth…

A few months ago, the Counseling Center proudly announced that the national accrediting organization, CARF International, awarded the Center a three year renewal of its accreditation. The report stated that “The Counseling Center demonstrates a high commitment to the CARF standards as a method for ensuring quality services for its clients.” The survey team stated that the Center’s strengths include “the involvement and support of the Board, teamwork, committee work, promotion of staff from within the agency, vision at the forefront, the commitment of staff, environment of care, creating positive outcomes for clients, with very positive statements from staff and clients about the service provision and the respect and teamwork that the agency fosters.”

In addition, the Counseling Center is also announcing that it is expanding the programs that it offers in several areas:

• Psychiatric Services to Youth and Adults;
• On-Site School Counseling Services;
• Prevention and Early Intervention Services to Very Young Children and Families;
• Employment Services;
• Services in the County Jail;
• Services to Participants in the East Liverpool Municipal Drug Court.

Psychiatric Services to Youth and Adults: As of June 13th, Ashleigh Noel, FNP-C, a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner with a focus in psychiatric medicine, joined the Counseling Center’s Psychiatric Team. Ashleigh completed her Master of Science in Nursing Degree at Saint Joseph’s College and graduated magna cum laude. She received her BSN from the University of Phoenix, ADN with Excelsior College, as well as completed education and training as a medic in the United States Army. Ashleigh specializes in the evaluation and medication management of psychiatric disorders in children, adolescents and adults. She is a member of the OAAPN and AANP. Ashleigh is “passionate about providing individualized behavioral health treatment, with the intention of offering clients the best opportunity to thrive.” Ashleigh is at the Lisbon office on Mondays and Thursdays, at the Calcutta office on Wednesdays and at Salem on Tuesdays. Please see the Counseling Center’s display ad about Ms. Noel.

In addition, as of February, Linda Boyle, FNP-BC, an ANCC Board Certified Nurse Practitioner with 27 years of psychiatric experience, having worked at the Counseling Center since 2014, expanded her hours at the Center to also include Fridays at the Salem office. With these additional hours, Linda is at the Center’s Salem office on Mondays and Fridays, Lisbon on Wednesdays and Thursdays and at the Calcutta office on Tuesdays. Seth Frampton, PMHNP, who has been with the Counseling Center for four years, recently began seeing clients at our Salem office on Wednesdays. He is at Lisbon on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Completing the Center’s Psychiatric Team is Vincent Paolone, M. D., Medical Director, with 25 years of psychiatric experience, who has been with the Counseling Center since 2007; he practices at the Lisbon office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

On-Site School Counseling Services: The Center’s On-Site School Counseling Program continues to provide services at East Palestine, Crestview, Opportunity, Leetonia, Southern Local, Lisbon, United, Wellsville and Beaver Local schools and will shortly increase the number of on-site school counselors by two.

Prevention and Early Intervention Services: The Center was awarded two Ohio Children’s Trust Fund (OCTF) Grants that will continue through 2019. The first entails working with the staff of four Head Start classrooms in East Liverpool to help engage families in managing stressors and meeting child development needs. The second, under the administration of Homes for Kids, provides services to families considered at risk for abuse and neglect with an emphasis on outreach and service delivery to single mothers and kinship caregivers. This expands the Center’s prevention services beyond the current Connections program that is in numerous school districts to help assess and prevent depression and self-harm in youth. Beginning in the fall, the Center will be expanding services to Head Start to include infants as well as toddlers and preschoolers.

Employment Services: The Counseling Center has seen a steady increase in the number of individuals it has helped secure employment, including young adults. Specifically, there was a 20% increase from 2017 to 2018, and in 2019, the Center is on track for an additional 20% increase above those served in 2018. In response, the Center is in the process of adding an additional two employment specialists to its vocational department.

Services in the County Jail: The Center is currently offering the Columbiana County Criminal Justice Behavioral Linkages Project, linking inmates at the Columbiana County Jail with substance use disorder and mental health services while incarcerated, as well as providing re-entry support after discharge from jail to support successful reintegration into society and prevent recidivism.

Services to Participants in the East Liverpool Municipal Drug Court: The Counseling Center is very involved in the newly established East Liverpool Municipal Drug Court that was launched in February. The Center’s Substance Use Department is honored to be on the Advisory Board, with two of the Center’s clinical professionals providing services to the participants. The Center is already actively engaged with the Columbiana County Municipal Drug Court in Lisbon and the Columbiana County Common Pleas Court.

The Counseling Center is very grateful to the Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board for helping to fund several of the above initiatives.