The Mission of the Gándara Center is to promote the well-being of Hispanics, African-Americans and other culturally diverse populations across the Pioneer Valley and eastern parts of Massachusetts, through innovative, culturally competent behavioral health, prevention and educational services.
You May Also Consider (Sponsored)
Quick Start Online Therapy: Tell Us a Little About Yourself and Get Matched With a Therapist Right for You
Take a simple guided quiz and let us know your preferences. Get matched to an online therapist right for you. Convenient and affordable online therapy from your phone, tablet or computer.
Have you been in therapy before?
Services Offered
Behavioral Management - This service is designed to treat challenging behaviors that interfere with the youth's successful functioning. Services include behavioral assessment (including observing the youth's behavior and predictors of behaviors, and identifying motivators), and development of a highly specific behavior treatment plan and risk management/safety plan; supervision and coordination of interventions; and training others who work with the individual to address specific behavioral objectives or performance goals.
In-Home Behavioral Services - Services are delivered by one or more professional and paraprofessional staff who offer a combination of medically necessary behavior management therapy and behavior management monitoring. This program is used when less intensive behavioral interventions do not reduce/eliminate a youth's problem behavior(s) or do not increase/maintain desirable behavior(s).
In-Home Therapy - Designed to increase the family's ability to support the healthy functioning of a youth within the family, home, and community. The In-Home Therapy team is made up of practitioner(s), family, and youth. Together they develop a treatment plan to address issues specific to the youth and family. Intervention techniques are designed to help in the following ways: solve problems, set limits, manage risk, communicate, build skills to strengthen the family, and improve ways of interacting with others. In addition, the practitioner helps the family identify and use community resources and develop a support system to maintain progress. Services are provided in the youth's natural settings.
Intimate Partner Abuse Education - Group sessions for men with a history of domestic or partner violence. Interventions focus on stopping the violence by helping the batterer to identify, confront, challenge and change controlling and abusive behavior towards their partner and children. Sessions are available during the evening and on Saturdays. Groups meet in 2-hour sessions, biweekly.
Anger Management - Services consist of bilingual individual or group therapy. Groups consist of 16 weekly sessions which last 1 hour. Additional individual sessions are available depending on the severity of the participant's condition and at the discretion of the clinician.
Sex Offender Treatment - On-going treatment for males with a history of sex offending. Consists of individual and/or group therapy and treatment.
Structured Outpatient Addiction Program (SOAP) - Three to six week "partial hospitalization" or aftercare program for individuals seeking a structured setting in which to achieve abstinence and sustained recovery from alcohol and drug abuse. Operates Mon-Friday for 3.5 hours/day and individuals participate in structured group treatment, using a multimodal approach.
Gambling Disorders - Traditional individual, group and family counseling and case consultation for problem gamblers. Assessment, treatment planning, specialized psycho-educational and family groups, that help participants and supporters understand the behavior in the context of cross-addiction. Bi-lingual, bi-cultural service.
Fees and Payment
To support our communities, we accept many private insurers and MassHealth. Many of our programs are low-cost or free to qualified clients.
This is a non profit agency.
Services Offered To:
Payment:
If You Call, Please Let Us Know How it Went:
Were You Able to Make an Appointment?
One quick last question. Who was seeking counseling today?
Do you know the reason they are not accepting clients?
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.