The Bert Nash Center is a nonprofit community mental health organization offering a wide range of outpatient services. It was founded in 1950 in memory of Dr. Bert Nash (1898-1947), a University of Kansas educational psychologist and community leader dedicated to improving the health of Kansas children. Today, the Center is a licensed, comprehensive mental health facility committed to providing research-based services to improve the lives of Douglas County residents. The Center provides a number of outpatient therapy options for adults and children, including individual and group therapy and several specialized services.
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Services Offered
We offer a variety of helping strategies based on individual needs including individual, couple, group and family therapy and psychological evaluations and appropriate medications.
> Anxiety Disorder Services Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. A certain amount of anxiety is normal and helps us cope with everyday challenges. However, it is not healthy when frequent anxiety interferes with work, activities, school, and recreation. Approximately 40 million American adults have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders can be successfully treated with appropriate therapy. The Anxiety Disorders Services program is unique to Bert Nash as it was established specifically for an outpatient setting and is based on rigorous, scientifically based treatment protocols. Anxiety disorders include: - Social phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder); - Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); - Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); - Panic disorder; - Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); and - Agoraphobia.
> Dialectical Behavior Therapy Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive treatment for individuals who struggle with a variety of emotional and behavioral problems and feel out of control. Individuals with severe mood disorders, PTSD, anger issues, relationship problems, addictions or who have suicidal/self-harming behaviors may benefit from DBT.
> Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment (IDDT) is a specialized form of treatment for individuals who have been diagnosed with two disorders: severe mental illness and a substance abuse disorder (alcohol or drug abuse or dependence). IDDT has been shown to work effectively for individuals with both disorders because it helps individuals make progress in their recovery from mental health and substance abuse problems at the same time. The IDDT program offers dual diagnosis groups as well as individual case management and specialized counseling. Individuals meet with groups to learn more about their symptoms and how to recover from substance abuse. Additionally, individuals can meet with therapists to help them identify what they believe would be most helpful in their recovery. If you are a Community Support Services (CSS) client and are interested in learning more about IDDT, please ask your case manager or ask to speak with the IDDT team leader.
> Intensive Outpatient Program IOP provides therapy services to individuals who are in acute distress and at high risk for inpatient hospitalization. The program also provides help to those recently discharged from inpatient or residential settings.
> Group Therapy Programs Group therapy is a form of counseling in which a small number of people come together under the guidance of a professionally trained therapist to help themselves and one another. Participants may benefit from understanding, support, and encouragement from others facing similar issues when they become engaged in group therapy.
Adult Outpatient Groups - Intermediate Treatment Services: A group that covers safety planning and reduces symptoms through increasing awareness of mental health behavior patterns, understanding how behavior affects how we feel, and the key to a life free of symptoms is making sure each day contains important and/or enjoyable activities with a sense of purpose. Participants will learn to change behavior first, rather than wait to feel more motivated or less symptomatic. Drop-In Group: Designed to be three sessions in which clients can drop-in without a paper referral, but a email referral would be appreciated. The focus is on developing clear recovery goals, helping client's identify their strengths and personal medicine to manage symptoms and an exploration of available services at Bert Nash to further recovery. - Challenging Health Issues Group: Offers participants with chronic physical illness and related mental health issues such as depression and/or anxiety a place for support and strategies to manage symptoms including relaxation exercises, guided imagery, and cognitive restructuring. - Depression Recovery Group (CBT): Provides participants with information about depression and strategies to help change behaviors and cognitions that foster depression. Also assists with behavioral activation, social dysfunction, and other impairment associated with depression. Movement as Medicine Group: Learn how to use your body to work through emotions and stress. TLC AOP Therapy Group: Assists individuals with depression integrate physical exercise, sleep, social connectedness, sunlight exposure, dietary omega-3 fatty acids, and anti-rumination strategies to improve mood and quality of life. - Anxiety Treatment Group and Pre-Exposure: Provides a general overview of anxiety in its many forms and offers participants various strategies for managing anxiety (learn to identify parts of anxiety, learn to challenge anxious thoughts, carry out diaphragmatic breathing and muscle relaxation strategies). - Men's Therapy Group: Will include clients who want to focus on interpersonal and family issues. It will also include looking at the whole person in areas of self-care such as how to lower reactivity, importance of nutrition, and use of calming skills. This group will be for clients who want to help in changing self-defeating patterns in all areas of their life, so they can get "unstuck", and move on with their life making better choices. - Anger Management Group: Offers participants an understanding of how anger impacts functioning, offers assertiveness training, cognitive restructuring, along with stress and relaxation strategies. - New Horizons: Provides a general overview of anxiety and depression in their many forms and offers participants various strategies for coping including relaxation techniques, time management, and cognitive restructuring. - Women's Therapy Group: This group will focus on helping women develop a clearer sense of who they are in relation to others (work place, school, family, significant other, and friendships). It is for clients who want help learning how to take care of themselves (vs. others), identify what they want (vs. don't want), how to ask for what they want, set boundaries, manage emotional triangles, and reactivity in relationships. - CSS Balanced Living Group: Assists with rehabilitation support with the development of social and daily living skills to increase community tenure, enhance personal relationships, and improve self-management of symptoms. - Anxiety Exposure Group: Will observe and monitor symptoms of anxiety, learn to challenge anxious thoughts, and complete exposure-based protocol. Two times per month venture out into the community to carry out in exposures. For clients with an anxiety diagnosis who are ready to decrease avoidance behaviors. - Women's Trauma Group: This is a research based approach using a group format built on the principles grounded in strength based approaches, empowerment, and validation. Designed to help women recover from traumatic abuse histories by following a step-by-step guide for recovery of survivors. Women need to be ready to explore how her trauma is related to behaviors and symptoms caused by and/or used to survive, that may no longer work. The process allows women to bear witness to one another as they take back their identity & power.
Fees and Payment
In order to receive services, you must be a Douglas County resident. During your registration, you will be asked to provide information about insurance and income in order to determine your payment rate. Fees vary according to the services provided and are comparable to or lower than the cost of similar services in private agencies. Bert Nash is an approved provider for mental health services for many insurance providers. Our staff files claims to private insurers, Medicaid (Kansas), and Medicare. Clients without insurance may qualify for sliding scale fees based on income. Payment is expected at the time service is provided.
This is a non-profit agency.
Services Offered To: Adults Couples Teens Children
Payment: Sliding Scale Medicare Medicaid
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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.