The Wichita Child Guidance Center’s (WCGC) team of caring, experienced professionals is dedicated to helping children, families and individuals cope with diverse problems in their lives.  The professional staff includes a Psychiatrist, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners, Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Master Level Social Workers, a PhD. Psychologist and Licensed Clinical Psycho-therapists. The Center provides a full array of outpatient mental health services including: psychiatric evaluations and medication management; psychological evaluations; individual, family and group therapy; clinical assessments and parent-child evaluations. 

 

With the help of funds from the United Way, the WCGC offers its services on a sliding fee scale so that clients can receive services regardless of their ability to pay.  There have been a lot of changes and advancements in the understanding and treatment of children’s mental health problems over the 75 year history of the Center.  The Center continues to strive to provide quality services, by the continued professional development of staff and by monitoring the effectiveness of its services.

 

The Center also provides the Children of Divorce Workshop, which is a court-mandated program for divorcing couples who have filed a divorce petition in Sedgwick County and have minor children in the home.  The four-hour program offers practical guidelines to help parents understand and deal with children’s reactions to divorce, and emphasizes that families, especially children, can successfully adjust to divorce.  Parents learn to recognize children’s stress symptoms, to understand visitation from the child’s perspective, and to maintain parenting roles when dissolving marital roles. 

 

Walter Thiessen, the executive director since 1994, is a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker.  With an interest and commitment to serve others, he has been a social worker since 1977.  Thiessen’s passion and commitment to serving children and their families has grown over the years as he sees the need for more prevention and early intervention services so that children can grow up to be capable and productive young adults.    

 

The Center strives to improve the quality of life for children, adolescents, and families through the provision of comprehensive community mental health services, in collaboration with other caregivers in Sedgwick County.  For more information, check out:  www.child-guidance.com or call (316) 686-6671.