While Kevin Ford will continue to counsel clients with substance-use issues, he also is taking on the responsibilities of a new position at The Center for Counseling & Consultation, 5815 Broadway.
Ford is now director of The Center’s Substance Use Program. He is a licensed addiction counselor and Kansas certified gambling counselor.
“My main goals are to develop and implement our outpatient program for those with substance-use problems,” Ford said. “This is a great opportunity for our clients here at The Center.
“We offer a well-rounded approach that focuses on the whole person,” he continued. “Working with the entire team to offer a continuum of care is awesome. All of us want the best for the client.”
For example, Ford noted, a therapist at The Center might be meeting with someone for the first time, not realizing that substance use is an issue.
“But if the topic arises, I am right here to help,” he explained. “In some cases, I can help right away; if not, the waiting time is brief.”
Those in the Substance Use Program have access to individual and group talk therapy, peer support and medical-assisted treatment.
“These resources allow more intensive care and treatment, along with the flexibility to adapt to each individual’s needs without duplicating services,” Ford commented.
Ford sees patients at The Center in Great Bend, 5815 Broadway, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. He is in Lyons at 217 E. Ave. N on Tuesdays. Larned will be added to the schedule in the near future.
“One priority is hiring more therapists,” he noted. “We look for counselors who want to join this great team of compassionate professionals who collaborate with one another to achieve the best outcome for the client.”
Ford is a recovering addict who has been clean for more than 37 years. He checked himself into rehab at age 19 and hasn’t used any substance since.
His employers over the years include the Kansas Department of Corrections where he was a unit team manager and director of the Chemical Dependency Recovery Program at Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility. He also was a counselor and intermediate supervisor at New Chance.
Julie Kramp, executive director at The Center, noted that “there is a great need for this program in our community. With Kevin’s expertise and leadership, we can more effectively help people that genuinely want to recover.”
The new program is part of the preparation for The Center to offer a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic. A CCBHC is a multi-dimensional program that cares for the whole person.
The Center for Counseling & Consultation is a Community Mental Health Center serving Barton, Pawnee, Rice and Stafford counties. Professionally trained personnel offer: individual and group therapy; marriage and family counseling; community-support services; community-based services; psychosocial rehabilitation; peer support; and medication management. The confidential 24/7 crisis hotline number is 800-875-2544.