Executive director of Samaritan Counseling Center, a nonprofit counseling service in Utica, says for the first time in history agency has a waiting list. ‘There are many, many people in our area that need help,’ he says
By David Podos
Q: How long has the Samaritan Counseling Center of The Mohawk Valley been around and what services do you provide?
A: We have been in Utica for the past 40-plus years. We are a nonprofit counseling clinic. One of things that make Samaritan unique is when working with a client we work with mind, body and spirit, so we incorporate that in our counseling as we are looking at the whole picture of a person.
Q: That’s great. So, who specifically are you and your staff counseling?
A: Basically, anyone who needs help.
Q: What kind of issues are people coming to your clinic with?
A: So, we will see people for example who are dealing with basic adjustment issues of life, such as life stressors, family issues, marriage, loss of income due to loss of employment and so forth. Of course, we see and counsel and provide therapy to those who have been diagnosed with any number of mental health concerns such as depression and or anxiety. If we have a client that we feel needs more intensive therapy, beyond what we can offer, we will refer that client to the appropriate agency or clinic.
Q: How many therapists do you have on staff?
A: Presently, we have 12 therapists. All of us have different licenses. So, for instance we have licensed mental health counselors, we have licensed marriage and family therapists, as well as psychologists and social workers.
Q: Where do you get your referrals?
A: Because we utilize a spiritual integration process as one of our components to therapy, we get many referrals from local clergy. We also receive a good amount from local medical doctors as well. Of course, word of mouth is a good and positive way for people to “discover” us and the services we offer.
Q: Can a person self-refer?
A: Absolutely, they just have to call us and then we will begin the intake process to get them here or on-line for therapy.
Q: What age groups are your clientele from?
A: We work with just about all age groups, from children, to teenagers, to adults. My youngest client so far was the age of 5.
Q: During the COVID-19 pandemic, did you see your intakes go up?
A: Yes, and it has stayed that way. We actually have a waiting list and we never had one before. So there are many, many people in our area that need help.
Q: Do all your clients come here for their therapy sessions?
A: While we have and still continue to see our clients in person, we also are utilizing tele-help, offering clients the option to either come in or receive therapy via the internet through tele-help.
Q: Do you have other locations besides your clinic here in Utica?
A: In the past prior to the pandemic, we had a satellite office in Herkimer as well as an office in Rome. When the pandemic hit, we had to stop all that, because all in-person therapy came to a stop. So as of now, Utica is our only clinical office. At some point however, we are hoping we can have an office and clinic presence again in both the Rome and Herkimer areas.
Q: Where does the clinic get its funding from?
A: The majority of our funding comes from third party insurance reimbursement. We have also received some grant money from various foundations over the years.
Q: What if someone needs help and they do not have insurance of any kind and they are unable to pay out of pocket?
A: First of all, for those who do not have insurance and have a limited income, we do offer an out-of-pocket sliding fee schedule based upon the person’s income. Additionally, we have what is called the Silent Samaritan Fund; that fund helps to offset the cost for our clients’ therapy if they have no other means of payment.
Q: What has been your biggest challenge for 2022 and what do you see is your biggest challenge for 2023?
A: From an executive director’s position, the challenge has been and continues to be what will the future of therapy look like. Traditionally you would meet your therapist face to face in a clinical setting. And now looking at the new landscape, we ask the question, ‘will insurance continue to reimburse for tele-health or not?’ If not, how will that impact us as a professional counseling business? The other challenge for us is making sure we can serve all the people that need help. As I mentioned earlier, we now have a waiting list and that list is growing.
Q: What was your operational cost last year?
A: About $750,000.
To Contact the Samaritan Counseling Center of the Mohawk Valley, call 315- 724-5173. Web site: samaritiancentermv.com