Wendy Lockwood, a long-time Great Bend resident, is eager to help manage the “incredible growth” that is coming to The Center for Counseling & Consultation in 2025 and beyond.
Lockwood has been named the new executive director at The Center, 5815 Broadway, replacing Julie Kramp who is retiring effective Dec. 27.
“We are looking at a period of tremendous expansion,” said Lockwood, who has served The Center for three decades. “I will focus on managing this growth with the support of our great staff of professionals.”
To illustrate the anticipated growth in 2025, The Center plans to add 43 new positions, which will result in a payroll of approximately 150.
“We need people in all levels of employment,” Lockwood noted. “We are looking for therapists and medical personnel, along with mid-level managers and information technology experts.”
One example of a new position is that of data analyst. “This will allow us to use our resources even more efficiently, while being a good steward of our state and federal funding.
“All of this will result in more services and facilities to accommodate our communities’ needs,” she added. “I strongly believe that we must offer quality services as we continue our holistic approach to supporting people who experience behavioral-health challenges.”
The road to this holistic, integrated approach began in 2022 when The Center got a head-start on becoming a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). This multi-disciplinary program not only offers a variety of therapies, it also provides support for housing and employment, medication-assisted treatment and specialized services for military veterans.
“We achieved pre-certification in 2023 and full licensure earlier this year, and much of the credit goes to Julie Kramp,” Lockwood said. “Julie has been phenomenal in the role of executive director for eight years and highly focused on building community partnerships. This is crucial to The Center.
“Our management team has been strengthened, which results in more high-quality services for our clients. Julie’s forever stamp is on our organization.”
Local and state support
Kramp said “Wendy is an amazing leader and absolutely the best person to fill this role and guide The Center ever forward as a CCBHC,” Kramp said. “She demonstrates our core values of integrity, dedication, compassion and quality in all that she does. I could not be more excited about the future of our non-profit organization with Wendy’s leadership.”
Kyle Kessler, executive director of the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas, wrote a letter of recommendation for Lockwood.
The letter states, in part, that Lockwood “is widely considered a leader within our system and is highly respected by her colleagues.”
She has “extensive experience in youth mental health and is one of the most knowledgeable individuals across the system when it comes to case management, a cornerstone of community-based mental-health services.”
In addition, “Wendy is often considered a go-to person, not only for our members but also state officials when input is needed on program and policy issues.”
David Anderson, commissioner for Aging Services at the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, also wrote a recommendation letter.
“I have always been very impressed with Wendy’s natural leadership skills,” the letter says, noting her “exemplary problem-solving, collaboration and communication skills. I learned early on that when Wendy had something to say at a meeting it was well worth paying attention to.”
Anderson also noted that Lockwood is “honest, compassionate and guided by a strong sense of personal integrity. I believe you are truly fortunate to have such a highly regarded and qualified individual who is fully prepared to lead The Center into the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”
Background
Lockwood started at The Center in 1994 as an adult case manager. Other titles include children’s case manager, as well as management positions in attendant care,
adult and children’s case-management services, community-based services and program development.
Currently, she serves as chief operations officer.
“This experience will serve us well but I am especially proud of my involvement with training community service providers,” she commented. “I work closely with the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas, while training service providers for the State of Kansas case-management certification.”
Lockwood, who assisted in developing the training curriculum, has been involved in this program since 1998.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1989 at Kansas State University and a master’s in business administration in 2010 at Fort Hays State University.
The Center for Counseling & Consultation, a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, 5815 Broadway in Great Bend, serves 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.