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History CCI was first recognized by the state in 1973 as the agency responsible for planning and delivering mental health services to Saline County. In 1978, Saline County was aligned with Pulaski County (outside the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock), Lonoke and Prairie Counties to form Central Arkansas Mental Health Services in order to apply for a planning grant with the aim of obtaining an operations grant for the entire area. The planning grant was approved and, subsequently, the operations grant was also approved in 1979. From the beginning of this grant, the Clinic has contracted to provide mental health services to the Saline County area under P.L. 94-63. The Clinic withdrew from the Central Arkansas Mental Health Services System in 1980. In 1983, CCI joined Stepping Stones, Inc., of Little Rock and formed Central Arkansas Youth Services (CAYS) to provide services to youth in Saline, Pulaski, Lonoke and Prairie Counties. In 1984, the Clinic withdrew from CAYS and contracted once again to provide Saline County youth services. Also in 1984, CCI expanded its youth services component with the addition of Saline County Juvenile Court. Through a cooperative agreement with Saline County Quorum Court, these services were administered by CCI. In 1989, juvenile court services were returned to the County. The Clinic opened a new program called Stride House in 1984. This program was a psychosocial residential model for 45 adults with serious and persistent mental illness and was located on the grounds of the Benton Services Center. In 1988, efforts were initiated to transfer the Stride House program to the community and to convert it from a large residential program to a small group living model. All of the psychosocial work units were also transferred into the community and a client-operated retail business named Unique Crafts was formed. With the passage of Arkansas Act 243 in 1987, Act 944 of 1989 and Act 961 of 1991, even greater responsibilities for the care and treatment of adults with serious and persistent mental illness were assumed by the Center. These legislative requirements include the designation of CCI as on of the "points of entry" into the public mental health system; the generation of a comprehensive array of community-based support services for persons with serious mental illnesses and the development of comprehensive treatment plans for such individuals, extending care beyond the normal range of clinical services. In October of 1990, the Clinic contracted with the Division of Mental Health Services to develop a pilot program for Central Arkansas. This program-G.A.I.N.- (Greater Assistance to those in Need) - provided intervention and case management services for persons who had experienced multiple hospital admissions. A majority of referrals came from the Arkansas State Hospital and community mental health centers in the central Arkansas area. In July, 1995, G.A.I.N. incorporated as a private, not for profit entity; G.A.I.N. now operates independently of CCI. Over the years CCI has responded to the needs of its services-area communities and to the demands for services so that a wide range of behavioral healthcare services is now available. |
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Counseling Clinic Inc. www.cc-inc.org
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