CHRIS 180, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization dedicated to healing children and families with holistic health services and trauma-informed care, announced the opening of its new counseling center in the historic Westside community of Atlanta.
The new Westside Empowerment Center, located at 810 Joseph E. Boone Blvd, will open its doors to the community with an open house next Thursday, May 30. During the open house, CHRIS 180 will welcome Westside residents to learn more about the services that are now offered at the center.
“We look forward to continuing our work and partnerships with residents of the Westside community,” said Kathy Colbenson, the president & CEO of CHRIS 180, in a release ahead of the event. “The addition of this center will allow us to improve communication and relationships within families, and ultimately help families become stronger and more confident.”
Since it first began operating in late February, the Center currently has 35 active clients for which it provides individual and family therapy, including younger children and adults, couples counseling, and individualized treatment approaches.
By 2020, Colbenson said the Center expects to extend its care to 150 clients, working towards the larger goal of providing counseling that helps each person increase their ability to address each circumstance.
Through the opening its doors, the Westside Empowerment Center adds to the current presence CHRIS 180 has in the Westside neighborhoods of Atlanta.
At current, CHRIS 180 provides school-based mental-health counseling in partnership with the Washington and Douglas cluster schools resulting in increased attendance and helping to improve the learning environment for students.
CHRIS 180 also serves as the lead organization at the Atlanta Police Foundation’s At-Promise Youth & Family Center. The organization currently also supports affordable housing, and partners with organizations such as the Westside Future Fund, the United Way of Greater Atlanta and the Quest Community Development Organization to ensure home security includes support and social services.
With the Westside Empowerment Center, the organization said it aims to enhance the lives of Westside residents by helping families heal and thrive. In addition, it also aims to make counseling more accessible as well as to equip more families with the tools and resources to cope with challenging and difficult situations
Following its mission to heal children, strengthen families and build community, CHRIS 180’s Westside Empowerment Center will extend access to behavioral health services and trauma-informed care to Westside residents.
The program is funded by generous donations from The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, The J.B. Fuqua Family Foundation, Inc., Kaiser Permanente and the Georgia Department of Public Health.
Since 1981, CHRIS 180 has transformed more than 70,000 lives. CHRIS 180 saves, serves and protects traumatized children, adults and families through trauma-informed, solution-focused programming that empowers them to change the direction of their lives.
