LATEST NEWS

Annual Report 2009

Our Mission

We provide emotional healing, guidance and support through professional, spiritually-integrated counseling and education.

Vision

The Samaritan Counseling Center provides an environment in which the client’s spiritual and religious beliefs are honored and integrated into the healing process by professional counselors who receive on-going theological training.  In the image of “The Good Samaritan”, the Center serves anyone who seeks counseling, with financial assistance available for those in need.

Organizational Background

The Center was founded in 1997 as one of more than 300 counseling centers across the United States, and now the world, accredited by the Samaritan Institute.  Since 1972, the Institute has been establishing professional non-profit counseling centers founded on the premise of providing quality mental health care through cost-effective management strategies.  In over 13 years of operation, the Center has provided thousands of hours of professional counseling and education services to individuals, families and organizations in the Eagle River Valley and surrounding counties.  We are now also accredited by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.

Increase in Clients Served – 2008 to 2009

2008 -
Clinical Hours: 705
Group Hours: 48
Clients Served - Individual Session: 133
Clients Served - In Group Setting: 240

2009 -
Clinical Hours: 1341
Group Hours: 260
Clients Served - Individual Session: 180
Clients Served - In Group Setting: 2080

2010 Goals

•Ongoing Individual Counseling - We expect, due to the increase in need for our services, we will provide approximately 2800 counseling hours.  We are now positioned to be able to meet this demand.

•New and Ongoing Groups –We will recommence working with the Eagle County Jail by offering processing and life skills groups, a program we would like to offer to the general community as well.  We will continue our monthly, well-attended Parenting Workshops.  We will offer Spiritual Struggles and Divorce Recovery Workshops.  We will begin offering Addiction Recovery Groups and any others that may be requested.  We will continue to offer Prepare and Enrich Workshops, for premarital counseling.

•Continue to Grow the Center East and West – Geographical expansion of the Center both into Summit and Garfield Counties was started in 2009 with the addition of Dr. Bryan Austill; this program will grow in 2010.

•Colorado Mountain Medical Collaborative – Started in 2009, this concept of providing integrated care – mental and physical – at the Edwards CMM facility is the wave of the future.  A Samaritan Center counselor is at CMM 2-3 days per week to provide free psychological evaluations and referrals to CMM patients.

Samaritan Center Staff

Elizabeth Myers, MBA – Executive Director - Elizabeth brings her deep commitment to the mission of helping others to the Center.  Her extensive business experience has helped shape the SCC into an agency-model counseling center with professional business practices, a clear fund raising strategy and a clear identity.

Randy Simmonds, PhD, LPC – Clinical Director - Randy founded the Samaritan Center of the Rockies in 1997, serving as Executive Director until 2006.  He currently is the Clinical Director, providing supervision and education for the staff, in addition to providing counseling for adults, couples and adolescents.

April Wilson, MSW, LSW - April is a licensed social worker who came to the Center and the valley in September of 2008 because she wanted to be part of the ministry of the Samaritan Center.  She had spent the previous nine years working primarily with individuals who have severe mental illness and/or are chemically dependent.  Additionally, she has extensive work in crisis work, working with crime victims and with trauma survivors.   

Bryan Austill, MDiv, PhD – Bryan has a PhD in Counseling Psychology. Bryan’s areas of specialization include couple’s relationships, mood disorders, end-of-life issues, and integration of mental health and spirituality.  His background includes social work, hospital and hospice chaplaincy, and parish ministry. Recently he has been in private practice in Breckenridge from 1996 to 2009.

Vanessa Lewis, MSW, LCSW - Vanessa is an alumnus of Denver University School   of Social Work. She practices a brief solution model of therapy with a focus on systems. She works with adults and young adults assisting individuals and families in life transitions.  She also specializes in grief counseling.  Vanessa is the oncology clinical social worker for the Shaw Regional Cancer Center.

Nicholas J. Hoeger, MAE, NCC, LPC - Nic is a board certified counselor, licensed school counselor, and licensed psychotherapist.  He makes therapy accessible through his pleasant demeanor and by providing services in the center, in the homes of clients, and at local schools. Nic works primarily with adolescents, and is a school counselor at Battle Mountain High School.

Donations to the Center are tax-deductible.  Contributions may be mailed to Samaritan Counseling Center, PMB 240, PO Box 19000, Avon, CO 81620 or made through our website, http://www.samaritan-vail.org.