A behavioral health nonprofit that provided counseling to more than 2,000 Gwinnett residents last year has taken over a 6,500-square-foot building in downtown Lawrenceville with the aim of helping double the number of people served in the county.
“We know that Gwinnett is really expanding,” said Anne Cornell, chief clinical officer of CHRIS 180, which provides mental health services to children and families who have experienced trauma.
The nonprofit recently moved from part of an office building about two miles south off Scenic Highway, tripling its space in Gwinnett. The new location, a former doctor’s office, will provide counseling, therapy, psychiatric medication management and other social services, Cornell said. The organization is also hoping to expand recruitment and support for foster care and adoptions there, she said.
CHRIS 180 also works with juvenile probation officers and court diversion programs to provide therapy to youth in the juvenile justice system, Cornell said.
Since the coronavirus pandemic surfaced four years ago, the organization has been doing many intakes and counseling sessions virtually, Cornell said.
“People are tired of virtual and may want to see people face to face,” she said. “This building allows us more opportunity to meet that need in a closer community than coming to our DeKalb office or our central Atlanta office.”
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
CHRIS 180 has more than 30 other locations in Fulton and DeKalb counties. The organization provides services on a sliding-scale fee, accepting most insurance and Medicaid. The organization has some grant funding for people without insurance and helps families find insurance as well, Cornell said.
The new Lawrenceville office has 15 rooms for individual and family therapy and seven for group therapy. Calming music in each room and white noise in the common areas ensures privacy.
CHRIS 180 hired five new therapists, including two who speak Spanish, for the Gwinnett expansion, Clinical Director Melania Soto Garcia said. The new office also has interns who are pursuing graduate social work degrees at area colleges, she said.
The organization works closely with the Georgia Department of Family & Children Services to provide what’s known as “wrap-around services,” everything from tutoring to help with home and car repairs for families in need, Chief Development Officer Elizabeth Goldberg said.
“Ultimately the goal is to make sure the family stays together,” she said.
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
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