Executive Director Rob McCreary and Deputy Director Kathleen Seipel of Family Counseling Center of St. Paul’s, discussed their Spanish language individual and family counseling services.  Kathleen told us about its 2003 founding by Sister Theresa Marie Elitz, OSF, a nurse who returned to school to study mental health counseling to fulfill the needs she saw within the Spanish speaking community.  Today they welcome and offer safety as they provide crucial bi-lingual access to care to Spanish speaking residents of greater Wilmington and the surrounding counties, a community disproportionately affected by cultural, stigmatic, linguistic, and financial barriers.  We discussed these barriers to seeking treatment, trust issues linked to past trauma, domestic abuse, lack of medical insurance and in some cases, documentation.   We talked about vulnerable women and families and inter-generational trauma, trauma caused by past violence, discrimination and poverty, and how the Center addresses their needs in a culture sensitive, trauma-based ‘holistic’ way, including emergency relief, healthcare, food, shelter and legal services, to help with their mental health care.  They work toward family stability, directing them to partner agencies to work on housing security, legal issues and financial planning, moving them ‘from crisis to empowerment.’

Rob told us about their new facilities and their growth – increased staff and client services, and their eye to adding services statewide.  He notes that insurance is not a dependable funding source, they rely on grants and donations.  He encourages organizations and individuals interested in working with the center to visit their website and to reach out to him.

stpaulscounseling.org