About us . . . 

FAYETTEVILLE FAMILY LIFE CENTER

Most people think of the Fayetteville Family Life Center as a place that provides counseling.  But there is a lot more to know about us.  This Q & A page will answer many of your questions.

What is our Purpose?

Simply put, the Fayetteville Family Life Center strengthens family life among people living in Cumberland County, North Carolina, and the surrounding area.  We do this through counseling, educational events, and a variety of specialized services.

Who sponsors the Center?

The Center is a nonprofit agency serving everyone.  We are sponsored through a cooperative effort of Fayetteville area Christian and Jewish congregations.  The United Way of Cumberland County and the fund raising efforts of our Board of Directors also support us.

How are we managed?

A Board of Directors manages the Center.  Board members are recruited from community leaders and supporting congregations.  The Board determines the services we provide, sets plans and policies, oversees the work of the Center and its director, raises funds, and manages the financial operation of the Center.

Who are Baptist Hospital CareNet Counseling Centers?

The Fayetteville Family Life Center is part of a statewide network of pastoral counseling centers known as Baptist Hospital CareNet Counseling Centers.  This organization is a nonprofit subsidiary of North Carolina Baptist Hospital located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  It is one of the major teaching hospitals in the state.  All counselors are employees of North Carolina Baptist Hospital,  or CareNet, and the professional counseling services are provided by the CareNet organization.

What is the Samaritan Institute?

The Center is affiliated with the Samaritan Institute.  This organization is a national alliance of nonprofit pastoral counseling centers across the United States.  It sets standards,  provides accreditation, promotes continuing education, and generates professional exchange among the Centers of the network.

How are we connected with the United Way of Cumberland County?

The Center is affiliated with United Way of Cumberland County.  This affiliation helps us to raise funds in support of the Center.  It also insures that we are a nonprofit organization in good standing, that our services meet the standards of the United Way, and that our financial management is sound.

What is faith-based Counseling?

The counseling provided by the Fayetteville Family Life Center is faith-based. We believe that religious faith is a powerful resource in helping people deal with their problems.  Our counselors do not impose their own religious beliefs onto clients.   We respect the religious faith of each client and we work to integrate the client's beliefs into the counseling process.  We work comfortably with persons of all faiths.

The majority of our counselors and clients are Christian.  Thus most of our counseling is Christian in nature.  We also provide Jewish and interfaith counseling.

What is a pastoral counseling center?

The Center is a pastoral counseling center.  What does that mean?  It does not mean that we are staffed exclusively with pastoral counselors (persons with theological as well as mental health training) although we do have pastoral counselors.  Neither does it mean that we serve only pastors, although we do give special attention to serving clergy and their families.

What it means is that our counseling is pastoral in nature.  We believe that people function best when all aspects of their lives -- physical, mental, and spiritual -- are fully utilized.  We integrate all of these areas into the counseling that we provide.  All counselors at our Center subscribe to this approach and provide counseling that includes a spiritual emphasis.

How do we work with congregations?

The Center views itself as a partner in pastoral care with the pastors of the community.  We work with the most acute problems that pastors and rabbis do not have the time or experience to treat.  We are available for consultation with the pastor or rabbi.  We encourage clients to seek spiritual guidance from their pastor or rabbi, and to join actively in the life of their congregation.  We give priority to referrals from pastors and congregations who provide financial support for the operation of the Center.

How can a congregation partner with the Fayetteville Family Life Center?

The pastor, rabbi, or representative of any congregation interested in becoming a partner with the Fayetteville Family Life Center can contact the Center director at 910-484-0176 for information.  We welcome the close working relationship that this alliance brings, and the congregation essentially gains a group of faith-based counselors as a part of its staff.

Does the center discriminate?

Absolutely not!  We encourage anyone to make use of our services -- regardless of gender, race, religion, or physical disability.  We operate with the deepest regard for the worth of every person.  Our services to those with physical disabilities are provided at Highland Presbyterian Church, located across the street from our Center.  The use of a different facility does not restrict in any way our providing the full range of our services.

How do we get money to operate the Center?

We get money in two ways.  One is through the fees that we collect.  These go to Baptist Hospital CareNet Counseling Centers who pay the salaries of our counselors and provide the many clinical services necessary to insure that quality counseling is provided.  But since much of our counseling is supplemented (provided at substantially reduced costs to clients who could not otherwise afford counseling), they do not generate enough funds to cover the costs of operating the Center.

The second way that we get money is through contributions.  These are funds given to us by churches and synagogues, the United Way, the business community, civic organizations, and concerned individuals.  The Board of Directors raises money through fund raising events such as our Annual Golf Tournament each spring and our Holiday Fund Raising Campaign each winter.

These contributions pay for the operation of the physical plant, the salaries of our clerical staff, and the many practical requirements for providing counseling services.  Because we raise these funds we can afford to provide the many free counseling hours to clients.

What is the John Mackey Client Aid Fund?

The Center maintains the John Mackey Client Aid Fund.  When a client cannot afford the minimum fee set by our Board of Directors, we draw from this fund to pay for the counseling.  There is a limit on the amount of funds that a client can draw from this fund each year, but the limit is generous and few clients reach their limit.

Do we disclose financial information?

We publish full information concerning our funds in an Annual Report, and a copy of the Annual Report is available to anyone who requests it.  We provide that information regularly to our Board of Directors, and we share it periodically with the United Way of Cumberland County and the congregations who support us.

Where are our counseling centers located?

The Fayetteville Family Life Center is located at 114 Highland Avenue, Fayetteville NC  28305.  It is across the street from the offices of Highland Presbyterian Church and around the corner from Cape Fear Regional Theater.  We are in a large, two-story brick home that has been renovated to suit our needs.  Our clients tell us that they like the warm, comfortable feeling of the Center.

We also provide counseling services through congregational offices located in three area churches -- Camp Ground United Methodist Church, First Baptist Church (Moore Street), and Lebanon Baptist Church.  Check the menu for locations to find out how to reach any of these congregational offices.

When is counseling available?

The Center is open 9:00AM until 8:00PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  The office is open for administrative work on Friday mornings as well.

The services at our congregational offices will vary according to need, but they are generally provided one day per week.  

When the Center is closed we maintain an answering machine to take messages.  We also have a counselor on call for clients who experience emergencies during hours when the Center is closed.  Clients who have an emergency can call our Answering Service.

Who Provides the Counseling?

Counseling is provided by state licensed counselors from one of several mental health disciplines.  They include pastoral counselors, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, licensed professional counselors, and social workers.  Our counselors hold a Masters and/or Doctorate in their fields.

Is there anyone who can't use the Center?

Anyone who seeks counseling that the Center is equipped to provide will be served.  We do not turn people away because they can't afford it.  Check the section on costs for full information about the fees that we charge.  Some clients require medical support such as medication and/or hospitalization.  If we feel that a person is likely to require these medical services and has no means of acquiring them, we cannot serve them.  We will do our best to refer the individual to an agency that can provide such medical services.

Do we provide medications?

A medical doctor must prescribe medications and we do not have a physician on our staff.  We do have a consulting psychiatrist who works closely with the Center and provides medication and hospitalization if the need arises.  We can also work with the personal physician of the client if that is more appropriate.  Payment for physician services are the client's responsibility and they are not a part of the arrangements with the Center.

What types of counseling are provided?

We have counselors with many types of expertise and we provide many types of counseling.  Individuals often seek our help in dealing with such problems as depression, anxiety, stress, coping with difficult situations, religious matters, adjustment to divorce, and other crises in their lives.  Couples often seek help with a wide variety of relationship problems.  Families often seek help dealing with parent-child issues, ADD and ADHD, behavioral problems of their children, helping children who have been abused in some way, family conflict, and other matters that threaten the life of the family.

Do we  provide drug and alcohol counseling?

We do not have any counselors who specialize in drug and alcohol counseling.  We can assess for these problems and if necessary refer clients to specialized substance abuse counselors or programs.  We can also provide personal or couple counseling.  For other types of problems while clients are also engaged in substance abuse counseling or programs such as AA or NA.  

Do we take insurance?

We are providers for many health insurance companies, employee assistance programs, and managed care organizations.  Actually, there are countless insurance arrangements and these are constantly changing.  If you have mental health insurance coverage, you can call the Center and give us specific information about your plan.  We will then check with your insurance company and determine what, if any, coverage you have and what the actual cost to you will be.

Some insurance companies and managed care organizations limit the number of providers.  Thus sometimes we have certain counselors who are providers for a company and other counselors who are not providers.  When insurance coverage is used, our standard fees apply.

We are Tricare providers and many of our clients are military dependents.  We also provide services for Medicaid and Medicare clients.  

How does one make an appointment?

Call the Fayetteville Family Life Center at 910-484-0176 for information or an appointment.  Your pastor, rabbi, medical doctor, school, or anyone providing other types of services for you can also refer.  All appointments are made from the central administrative office at the Hamount location.