Community Legal Services and Counseling Center provides free civil legal aid and affordable psychological counseling to low-income people. CLSACC serves victims of domestic violence and abused children, individuals, families and senior citizens at risk of homelessness, people with disabilities, and refugee and immigrant victims of torture, gender-based violence, human trafficking, domestic violence, and other types of crimes. The Center also serves people who suffer from mental illness which affects their ability to function in the community.
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Services Offered
Psychotherapy Services - We assist clients who are experiencing anxiety, depression, social isolation, relationship difficulties, family troubles, work problems, trauma associated with violence, or have other concerns. Our counseling services are professional and confidential. Services Offered: individual psychotherapy, couple counseling, and group psychotherapy.
Refugee and Immigrant Support Services - The counseling staff and volunteers at CLSACC come together to help people who may have lived through painful experiences in their home country or may be having difficulty adjusting to the United States. We provide specialized services for survivors of torture, victims of crime, and individuals affected by war and other types of human rights violations.
CLSACC's Center for Global Human Rights and Resilience provides:
* Individual counseling and therapy * Psychological evaluations and expert court testimony for asylum, VAWA, U Visa, and cancellation of removal cases * Art therapy group for women who are experiencing social isolation * Case management
Interdisciplinary Services - When a client's emotional and psychological state of mind prevents him or her from fully participating in the legal process, upon the request of the attorney, one of the counseling staff joins the legal team to assist both the lawyer and the client in better understanding the barriers that prevent them from moving forward with the legal case.
Fees and Payment
Fees range from $5 to $60 per visit. No one is turned away due to inability to pay. We do not accept health insurance payments for our services.
The fee for psychological evaluations for Asylum, VAWA, U Visa and cancellation of removal cases is $600. However, a reduced fee can be negotiated based on a client's circumstances.
Certain refugees and immigrant victims of crime including domestic violence, political trauma, and torture are able to receive pro bono counseling and social services.
This is a non profit agency.
Services Offered To: Adults Couples Teens Children
Payment: Sliding Scale
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Qualifying for assistance from Massachusetts' program usually depends on the severity of your condition and financial circumstance. Read our full guide to Massachusetts' program.
A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.
