Pro Bono Counseling (PBC) Program
The PBC program links volunteer mental health professionals in the community with those who need but cannot afford mental health counseling in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The program’s volunteers are licensed and insured mental health professionals and Master level Counseling and Social Work students who provide short-term counseling (6-12 sessions or less) at no cost to the recipient.
Clients are referred by Community Mental Health Centers, self-referrals, schools and universities, social service organizations, victims’ services, churches, hospitals, mental health professional associations, other non-profit organizations, and volunteer clinicians (among many other sources). We also partner with community agencies to provide Pro Bono Counseling services at their locations to reach a greater number of individuals and families in need which include Madisonville Education and Assistance Center, The Healing Center, Gateway Community College, Cincinnati State, the PIER Recovery Center, Brighton Recovery Center and MHA Covington.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who is Eligible?
The PBC program is a free service available to adults who are unemployed, uninsured, underinsured, or unable to afford traditional counseling services. These include individuals and families that are struggling with situations such as unemployment, life changes, depression, anxiety, grief, and marital or family issues.
So individuals who might be best for PBC services would be…
• uninsured
• underinsured – For those with insurance, however, mental health may not be covered, or deductible and/or co-pay is not affordable
• unable to receive public or private help
• unable to pay minimum sliding fee scales
• unemployed
Who is NOT eligible?
While the PBC program is not appropriate for individuals with serious mental illness, MHANKYSWOH has other information and referral sources to connect people in need with appropriate and available mental health treatment. All PBC clients are prescreened for appropriateness. If an individual is determined to need more intensive services than the PBC can offer, they will be referred back to our triage services to be linked to the appropriate services.
So individuals who would NOT be appropriate for services would be…
• struggling with drug and alcohol issues as the primary issue
• needing high acuity level of care
• suffering from chronic mental illness
• under the age of 18 unless it is in the context of a family
Who can volunteer?
MHANKYSWOH recognizes that the depth of our volunteer pool is integral to providing the right service to each PBC client. We are actively recruiting licensed mental health professionals from a variety of fields including social workers, counselors, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, and graduate students in these fields.
What are the benefits of volunteering?
As a PBC volunteer, you will have the support of Mental Health America of Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio. We offer our volunteers:
- Counseling sites in both Blue Ash, Ohio and Newport, Kentucky
- 6 free CEUs through MHANKYSWOH education events
If you have a referral question, a client to refer to, or a unique partnership to offer, please contact us at the information listed below.
Point of Contact: Dani Diede, ddiede@mhankyswoh.org