SHEDDING NEW LIGHT ON MENTAL HEALTH

For two decades the Community Counseling Center has counseled and comforted the region. In that time the center has blossomed from humble beginnings to a professional, full-service agency nurturing the region's mental health. On Sunday the CCC will open its doors from 2 to 4 p.m. This open house will show the public just how far the center has come and what services it has to offer.

Over the years the CCC's mission has expanded. At one time, those who suffered from mental illness had few options. Many were simply shipped off to state mental hospitals. But change in thought and treatment has kept more of these individuals closer to home with assistance and programs in the community. The CCC has filled that need admirably.

But it isn't just the mentally ill who benefit from the center. The center counsels families in crisis or others who find the stresses of everyday life overwhelming. The center helps people better deal with tragedies and grief.

The impetus of the CCC was the concern of Sister Virginia Beikler, who served as administrator of the old St. Francis Hospital in the early 1970s. A federal grant for $650,000 was obtained to start a mental health center in Cape Girardeau. The first staff included only four or five counselors. An in-patient unit of 10 beds was manned by a St. Louis psychiatrist on the weekends, with local physicians aiding during the week. Everyone took turns answering the crisis line.

The CCC operated with the hospital until 1984, when it opened a separate facility with its own board of directors. It completed its modern, two-story offices on Silver Springs Road in December 1991.

Today, the center's 121-member staff serves more than 3,500 clients each year. CCC represents a wonderful success story.

But the accomplishments of CCC go further than just growing staff and programs. The center has worked hard to help those facing mental illness become more accepted in the communities where they live. The stigma once associated with mental health problems has faded. People have found that talking about problems with trained professionals paves the way to treatment and healing.

Through the efforts of CCC, the people of the region enjoy improved mental health. Congratulations to the center and its staff for their service to the region.