Berks Counseling Center Inc

Programs: Berks counseling center, inc. Is a nonprofit, free standing outpatient community behavioral health center founded in 1977. The mission of the organization is to be a recovery oriented integrated behavioral and physical health service organization providing a holistic approach to a culturally and economically diverse population for the purpose of promoting a healthy and productive lifestyle. The organization is fully licensed by the commonwealth of pennsylvania to provide a wide range of addiction and mental health outpatient treatment services. These services include, but are not limited to, outpatient individual, group and family counseling, psychiatric evaluations and mediation management, case management, and other social services. Patients are reached either directly or through referral. Berks counseling center is completing its second year of transforming its programs and services to a fully integrated health home model for patients with a mental health and/or addiction diagnosis. The physical health/behavioral health provides services to medical assistance-eligible adults 18 years and older with behavioral health illnesses and at high risk, or currently experiencing co-morbid physical health conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. Our health home is designed to provide a systematic health assessment and screening of the targeted population enhanced by on-site primary care with a strong focus on wellness and health promotion activities and support. The program is facilitated by and integrated health team consisting of a medical director, primary care physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, wellness support specialists, health navigators, and medical assistants. The organization also facilitates several prevention and intervention programs such as the maternal intervention and supportive services program and a program for pregnant and parenting teens. The organization prides itself on its outreach within the community, providing student assistance services in various school districts in berks county. Additionally, bcc provides treatment services at the berks county prison and community reentry center. The organization operates a housing program with supportive services for homeless persons with behavioral health disabilities. Eligible clients are provided transitional and/or permanent apartment housing at rents following the united states department of housing and urban development ("hud") rental guidelines. Additionally, the organization connects with eligible individuals/families to affordable housing by providing initial rental assistance, and it also leases affordable apartments under a master leasing arrangement to individuals reentering the community from the county corrections systems. Case management and other supportive services are provided to all housing clients as needed. Additionally, bcc manages the berks county pa workwear program for clients referred through the public assistance office. These are clients eligible to be returning to the workforce but need initial assistance with appropriate interview clothing and support. During this year, bcc was selected by the office mental health and substance abuse services, and office of the department of health and human services in pa, as a certified community behavorial health organization. This meant that bcc will be implementing a new paradigm of behavioral health treatment based on the concept of integrated care. The project is to commence july 1, 2017 and thus a reinforcement of expansion of the model developed over the past three years.