The Center for Counseling & Consultation

The Center for Counseling & Consultation The Center is a Certified Community and Behavioral Health Clinic serving Barton, Pawnee, Rice and Stafford Counties. Monday-Thursday 8am-1pm.

The Center is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic serving Barton, Pawnee, Rice and Stafford Counties. Open access (first time appointments) available for walk-in appointments to get services started during these times. If you have questions, please contact 620-792-2544

🌱 Advancing Rural Solutions for Substance Use CareWe are proud to share that our Substance Use Program Director, Kevin F...
03/30/2026

🌱 Advancing Rural Solutions for Substance Use Care

We are proud to share that our Substance Use Program Director, Kevin Ford, recently served as a panelist in the national webinar:

“Opportunities to Improve Rural Responses to Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose,” hosted by the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE). 

Kevin joined leaders from across the country to discuss innovative strategies that strengthen prevention, treatment, and recovery supports in rural communities — where access to care can often be more limited, yet the need remains just as critical.

Rural communities face unique challenges when addressing substance use disorders, including workforce shortages, transportation barriers, stigma, and limited access to specialized services. Conversations like this help drive forward solutions that expand access, improve outcomes, and ensure individuals and families have the support they need close to home. 

At The Center, we are committed to being part of the solution — building strong, compassionate systems of care that meet people where they are and support recovery journeys with dignity and hope.

Kevin’s participation highlights the important role rural providers play in shaping statewide and national conversations about behavioral health and substance use care.

We are grateful for Kevin’s leadership and proud to contribute to collaborative efforts working to strengthen care for rural communities across Kansas and beyond.

Together, we continue Cultivating Help, Hope, and Healing.

🇺🇸 Honoring Vietnam Veterans – March 29March 29 is recognized as National Vietnam War Veterans Day, marking the day in 1...
03/29/2026

🇺🇸 Honoring Vietnam Veterans – March 29

March 29 is recognized as National Vietnam War Veterans Day, marking the day in 1973 when the last U.S. combat troops left Vietnam. Today, we pause to honor the men and women who served during the Vietnam War — including many from our own communities — and to recognize the sacrifices they made both during and after their service.

Vietnam veterans demonstrated courage in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Many returned home to challenges that were not always visible to others, often carrying the lasting effects of combat, loss, and transition back to civilian life. Their strength, perseverance, and dedication to serving something greater than themselves deserve our deepest respect and gratitude.

At The Center, we are honored to serve veterans from all eras, including those who served during Vietnam. We recognize that military service can shape a lifetime, and that support, understanding, and access to care can make a meaningful difference for veterans and their families.

Through our Veteran Services, we are committed to ensuring that those who have served our country have access to compassionate mental health care, connection to resources, and a supportive community that recognizes both their experiences and their continued contributions.

Today, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to Vietnam veterans — those from our local communities and across the nation — for their service, sacrifice, and resilience.

Thank you for your service. Your legacy continues to shape our communities and our country.

If you or a veteran you know is looking for support, connection, or resources, The Center is here to help.

🇺🇸 Honoring service
💚 Supporting healing
🌱 Cultivating hope

💚 Honoring Our Licensed Social WorkersAs Social Work Month comes to a close, we want to take a moment to recognize and t...
03/28/2026

💚 Honoring Our Licensed Social Workers

As Social Work Month comes to a close, we want to take a moment to recognize and thank the incredible Licensed Social Workers who serve our communities every single day.

Social workers meet people in some of life’s most vulnerable moments — offering guidance, advocacy, compassion, and practical support when it matters most. They help individuals and families navigate challenges related to mental health, trauma, substance use, relationships, housing, finances, and life transitions, always with dignity and respect at the center of their work.

At The Center, our Licensed Social Workers play an essential role in helping individuals find stability, build resilience, and move toward healthier futures. Their work often happens quietly — through meaningful conversations, resource connections, crisis support, and steady encouragement that reminds people they are not alone.

Social work is more than a profession — it is a commitment to service, equity, and the belief that every person deserves the opportunity to thrive.

To our Licensed Social Workers:
Thank you for the compassion you show, the hope you inspire, and the difference you make every day.

We are grateful for the impact you have on the lives of those we serve and on the strength of our communities.

💚 Thank you for walking alongside others
🌱 Thank you for cultivating hope
🤝 Thank you for helping people move forward

Big things are coming in 2026… and you won’t want to miss them!We’re excited to introduce three new community events des...
03/25/2026

Big things are coming in 2026… and you won’t want to miss them!

We’re excited to introduce three new community events designed to bring people together around hope, healing, connection, and mental wellness.

📅 June 18 – Wild About Wellness 🦒
A family-friendly zoo adventure featuring interactive learning stations, bounce houses, vendors, and special opportunities to interact with zoo animals in ways you don’t typically experience on a normal zoo visit!

📅 September 19 – HopeFest 2026 🌟
Our signature event of the year focused on recovery, su***de prevention, and positive mental health featuring a community walk, art experiences, remembrance opportunities, live music, food trucks, and a nationally recognized entertainment act.

📅 November 11 – Honoring Service, Supporting Futures
Connecting veterans and their families to resources, community, and support while honoring those who have served.

These events are open to the public and designed to create meaningful experiences for individuals, families, and our entire community.

Sponsorships, resource vendors, and food vendors will be announced soon.

Save the dates now — more details coming soon!

💬 What are some activities you hope to see at one or more of these events?! Let us know in the comments below!

Recovery doesn’t happen alone—and it doesn’t have to.We’ve created a Recovery Calendar to help you find local AA, NA, an...
03/20/2026

Recovery doesn’t happen alone—and it doesn’t have to.

We’ve created a Recovery Calendar to help you find local AA, NA, and Gamblers Anonymous meetings in one easy place.

No matter where you are in your journey, there’s a seat for you.

👉 Find a meeting near you: https://www.thecentergb.org/substanceuse

Know of a meeting we should add? Let us know—we’d love to keep this resource growing for our community.

03/20/2026

We’re proud to share that The Center team has grown to 130 employees—and we’re still growing.

This growth reflects something bigger than numbers. It represents more people being reached, more services being expanded, and more support available across our communities.

As the need for mental health and substance use services continues to rise, we’re committed to showing up—and we’re looking for others who feel called to do the same.

If you’re looking for meaningful work where you can truly make a difference, we’d love to connect.

👉 Explore current openings: https://www.thecentergb.org/jobs

When someone needs help, the hardest part is often knowing where to start.📱Who do you call?✅What organizations are avail...
03/18/2026

When someone needs help, the hardest part is often knowing where to start.

📱Who do you call?
✅What organizations are available?
🤷‍♀️What if you’re helping someone else and don’t know what resources exist?

That’s exactly why we created our Community Aid Resources page — a centralized place to find support across our region, all in one spot.

Whether you’re trying to make rent, put food on the table, find a fresh start, or support someone else through a difficult time — this page is designed to help you quickly connect with trusted local resources.

➡️ Explore resources here: https://www.thecentergb.org/communityaidresources

But we know no list is ever complete — and that’s where you come in.

💬 If you know of a resource we should add, or notice something missing or outdated, you can submit updates directly through the page.

Together, we can make sure our community has access to the support it deserves.

Some roles don’t fit neatly into a job description — and Becky Byers wouldn’t have it any other way.On any given day, Be...
03/17/2026

Some roles don’t fit neatly into a job description — and Becky Byers wouldn’t have it any other way.

On any given day, Becky might be helping someone get to an appointment, connecting them to resources, or leading a cooking or baking group. When asked what a typical day looks like, her answer is simple:

“Pretty much whatever the clients need.”

As an Adult Case Manager and coordinator of The Center’s Dry Pantry, Becky meets people where they are — helping remove barriers so they can focus on healing, growth, and moving forward.

But what truly sets Becky apart is something you can’t train — it’s her lived experience.

Because she’s walked through her own challenges and supported loved ones through theirs, Becky connects with clients in a way that builds trust, understanding, and real hope.

She believes that everyone has strengths — even if they can’t see them yet.

And that’s where her work begins.

💚 At The Center, it’s people like Becky who help bring our mission to life — cultivating help, hope, and healing every single day.

💬 Help us celebrate Becky in the comments!

➡️ Read her full story in our March newsletter.

Feeling overwhelmed lately? You're not alone — and sometimes the first step is simply recognizing the signs.Here are 3 s...
03/17/2026

Feeling overwhelmed lately?

You're not alone — and sometimes the first step is simply recognizing the signs.

Here are 3 signs your stress level may be too high:

• Trouble sleeping or feeling constantly tired
• Feeling overwhelmed by everyday tasks
• Losing interest in things you normally enjoy

Stress affects both our mental and physical health, and it’s okay to ask for support when things start to feel heavy.

At The Center, we believe taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health.

💬 Which of these shows up for you the most?

03/14/2026

Sometimes the best therapy… is a little friendly competition. 😄

This past month our team took a break from the important work we do every day to celebrate each other at our Staff Appreciation Party — complete with our very own version of Family Feud (and yes, we even had our own Steve Harvey!).

At The Center, the care we provide our community starts with the people behind it. Nights like this remind us how lucky we are to work alongside a team that supports each other just as much as we support the individuals and families we serve.

A big thank you to everyone who helped make the night such a success. We laughed, we competed, and most importantly… we celebrated the incredible team that helps us continue Cultivating Help, Hope, and Healing every day. 🌱

🚗 Sometimes care starts with a simple turn of a key.Across Barton, Rice, Stafford, and Pawnee counties, our team spends ...
03/13/2026

🚗 Sometimes care starts with a simple turn of a key.

Across Barton, Rice, Stafford, and Pawnee counties, our team spends a lot of time on the road — because mental health care doesn’t always happen inside an office. Sometimes it happens in homes, schools, hospitals, and communities across central Kansas.

In 2025 alone, The Center’s vehicles traveled 336,863 miles helping people access care, services, and support.

Those miles represent thousands of moments that matter:
💚 Rides to treatment
💚 Crisis response visits
💚 Support in homes and schools
💚 Connections to housing, employment, and recovery resources

Our fleet of 52 vehicles helps our team meet people where they are — because access to care should never depend on someone’s ability to get to us.

These may look like ordinary vehicles on the road, but for the people we serve, they often represent hope, support, and connection.

📖 You can read the full story about how our transportation team helps power care across central Kansas in our March newsletter.

👉 Read the article here: https://www.thecentergb.org/so/f6Pp3t89p?languageTag=en

💬 Question for our community:
Which town are you reading this from today?

Throwback Thursday 💚Two weeks ago, 22 students from Central Kansas Zero Reasons Why Ellinwood High School and Great Bend...
03/12/2026

Throwback Thursday 💚

Two weeks ago, 22 students from Central Kansas Zero Reasons Why Ellinwood High School and Great Bend High School clubs traveled to the Kansas State Capitol to take part in Prevention Advocacy Day.

These incredible young leaders spent the day learning about policy, sharing their voices, and advocating for stronger mental health and su***de prevention supports across Kansas.

While at the Capitol, the students had the opportunity to meet with Representative Sherri Brantley and Senator Tory Blew, sharing their perspectives and experiences as youth leaders working to create a culture where it’s okay to talk about mental health.

Watching students step forward to lead these conversations is powerful. The future of mental health advocacy is already happening — and it’s happening right here in Central Kansas.

We are incredibly proud of these students and grateful to the legislators who took time to listen and engage.

🌱 The next generation is already making a difference.

Address

5815 Broadway Avenue
Great Bend, KS
67530

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 7pm
Wednesday 8am - 7pm
Thursday 8am - 7pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

+16207922544

Website

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