Athens Family Counseling Services may add Hispanic programs

by Josh White - ABH

The Family Counseling Service of Athens discusses expanding its services to Athens-area Hispanic residents on June. The service is a secular organization that provides low-income clients with counseling in areas such as alcohol and drug addiction, anger and violence, and victim assistance, using a sliding pay scale as fitting customer needs. "We started looking at how we could specifically help Hispanics a few years ago," said Director Teddy Kemp. "As far as alcohol, drugs and mental health services, I would consider (Athens' Hispanic community) underserved."

A year ago, the Family Counseling Service entered into a partnership with the Clinic for Education, Treatment and Prevention of Addiction, an Atlanta- and Norcross-based firm which specifically helps Hispanic people in Georgia, Kemp said.

A Family Counseling committee met on June to discuss the possible expansion. "It's sort of a planning session," Kemp said.

After a year of collaboration, leaders of both groups think it is time to evaluate the success of the Hispanic service and consider what else can be done, he said. Kemp imagines the committee will discuss the best strategies for expansion.

Now, Family Counseling offers Hispanic clients the same programs as anyone else, just translated into Spanish, but the committee will discuss developing new programs directed toward Hispanic residents, Kemp said.

Pierluigi Mancini, the founder of the Clinic for Education, Treatment and Prevention of Addiction, is visiting Athens today to discuss ideas with Kemp and members of the committee. The partnership began, Mancini said, because a growing number of Athens' Hispanic residents asked for counseling.

One of the challenges the partnership faces is educating the Hispanic community about obtaining government health services, Mancini said. The first step in service expansion, then, is greater community outreach. "If the community doesn't trust you, then no one will come through the front door," Mancini said.

One of the bilingual clinicians assists Family Counseling for 20 hours a week. Family Counseling doesn't advertise that it offers Spanish-language counseling, and Mancini fears he won't be able to meet client demands once the word gets out. "It's a challenge to find bilingual counselors," he said, who also considers it necessary to have specialized employees - such as psychiatrists - to better help Hispanic patients.

Mancini hopes one day to see a full-service counseling office for Hispanic residents in Athens, he said. The major challenge of service expansion is funding, Mancini said.

Further funding could come from churches, private foundations, grants and groups such as the United Way of Northeast Georgia, he said.

Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on June 13, 2006