Just in time for Mental Health Month, nonprofit Samaritan Center has opened a new office in Dripping Springs, along with a new therapist to serve the area.
While Dripping Springs has grown quickly, its mental health providers have been stretched thin. Over the last few years, various community groups have drawn attention to the disparity between population and resources, including the local school district and multiple churches. Samaritan Center, an Austin-based counseling center, hopes to increase access to mental health care for area residents, according to Cindy Long, CEO.
“We began talking with members of the Dripping Springs community regarding gaps in mental health care and increasing access to services in 2019,” Long said. “With community support, we now have a new office to offer counseling to residents of Dripping Springs and Hays County.”
She said Samaritan Center’s goal is to establish a large counseling and wellness center for Dripping Springs and the surrounding area within a few years. The nonprofit is still raising funds for this initiative.
Samaritan Center’s new therapist, Jan Venable, M.Ed., LPC-S, is a licensed professional counselor with over 25 years of experience, specializing in trauma, recovery, anxiety, and codependency.
Venable said she believes in the connection of mental and physical health and advocates for treating the whole person — rather than just isolated symptoms. She provides individual therapy and family therapy for both adults and adolescents.
Counseling services are provided on a sliding fee scale, so they are affordable for all. No one is turned away because of inability to pay. A number of insurance plans are accepted.
This project was made possible through grants from The Burdine Johnson Foundation, Hill Country Rally for Kids, and Dripping Springs Community Foundation.
For mental health resources and more information, visit samaritancenter.org.DSISD jump plus room for a photo here.
