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CEO ANN WILLIAMS

Ann Williams

Chief Executive Officer

The Center is an independent, non-profit corporation.  It is not a department or branch of the Indiana County Government Offices.

The CEO Speaks

At the start of the new year, it’s a perfect time to talk about new beginnings. So I’d like to start with some of the new initiatives currently underway at the Community Guidance Center:

 The Center has recently implemented a same day intake process for consumers.  Most new consumers can receive an intake appointment on the same day that they call and have their next appointment scheduled at that intake regardless of the service. This is part of our strategic plan to consistently improve access and services.

 

For existing consumers that have prescriptions, a medication walk-in clinic was established, so that individuals with medication questions or problems can walk in without an appointment during clinic hours and see the psychiatrist within one hour.

In January, Genoa Healthcare Pharmacy will begin operating at the Center’s main office.  Genoa will be able to fill all health care prescriptions for Center consumers on site, not just prescription issued by the Center.  We are the first community mental health center in Pennsylvania to have an in-house pharmacy. We believe that this will be another popular convenience for our consumers and we are every excited to welcome Genoa to Indiana.

The Center was the first organization to implement strength-based services and is still the only organization offering this unique and specialized children’s service in Indiana County.

The Center recently began a consumer advisory council to directly involve consumers and other community members in Center planning and operations.  If you are interested in joining the council, please contact us via this website.  We are currently looking for more working members to assist with council activities.

HealthChoices, Pennsylvania’s mandatory Medicaid managed care program is being implemented in all other counties in the state beginning January 1.  This is a major change for most community mental health centers.  To assist with this transition, the Center hosted a one day seminar to help other agencies prepare them for managed care.

Value Behavioral Health of Western Pennsylvania recognized these efforts this past year when they named the Community Guidance Center “best in class” for their outpatient services.

We are very pleased with our accomplishments but have many new initiatives planned for 2007.

Recently, there has been some discussion about whether there is a waiting list for services in Indiana County.  Although appointment times can vary based on the client’s wishes and the willingness of other agencies to transfer medical records in a timely manner, the Center meets the current requirements for appointment times.  However, we hope our new intake process will provide even faster access to services.  As such, we will be posting our most recent statistics regarding the average length of time to obtain appointments at the Center on our website for all to see.

 In addition, the Center currently has three full-time board-certified psychiatrists and a full-time physician’s assistant. However, we are currently accepting applications to add another psychiatrist to our staff to improve access for the community.

The Center has been in operation since 1959 and we are committed to Indiana County. In addition to our commitment to continuous quality improvement for our services, we are also committed to community service.  The majority of our 150 employees are involved with voluntary efforts throughout the community.  We hosted a holiday skating party at the Indiana Roller Rink on December 13 for over 200 children. Our employees also donated goods for a holiday give-away to adult and child consumers at the Center.  Clothing, coats, toys and household goods were provided to any consumer that needed the items. 

 We have many more plans for improvements and community involvement in 2007.  I will be sharing new initiatives with you on an on-going basis.

 

The mission of the Community Guidance is to provide high quality comprehensive Mental Health and Mental Retardation Services, empowering individuals and families residing in the community to improve the quality of their lives. 

CONFIDENTIALITY

Non Discrimination Policy

All client information is kept strictly confidential. Your written authorization is required in order to release any information (except as required by law).

FEES

 Medical Assistance, Medicare, and most major insurances accepted. Under certain conditions, fees are adjusted to income and ability to pay

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