a non-profit, comprehensive,
community mental health service

Your First Visit

When you contact us, we will arrange an initial conversation for you with one of our counselors. We ask that you arrive for your appointment 15 to 30 minutes early in order to read some background information and fill out a few forms.

In the initial meeting, the counselor will ask lots of questions and gather information about you and, perhaps, your family members. Also, you will have the opportunity to ask questions about what will happen during counseling and receive full answers. This conversation is called an "assessment". In the assessment, you and your counselor will begin  to probe the causes of the concerns that have brought you or your family member to MFS and also will begin to shape a course of treatment. Then you and the counselor will design an individualized service plan that will set goals for counseling and the ways in which you and the counselor will approach your situation. If your counselor thinks that medication could help, we can refer you to a qualified medical care provider for an exploratory conversation.

Perhaps your treatment can be enhanced by other services that we can connect you to. Our in-house specialists called "case managers" can tailor a variety of support services to meet your needs for housing, nutrition, fuel assistance, and other necessities.

Throughout this process, you will be a full partner. We encourage you to ask questions and to take a leading role in guiding your course of treatment. MFS and its caregivers are ready to be your partner as you create a more positive future for yourself.