Samaritan Center to open office in Dripping Springs

Samaritan Center is opening an office in Dripping Springs. Through a generous foundation grant, they have already hired their first therapist in Dripping Springs and are currently searching for office space. An additional $50,000 has been pledged, if they can find matching funds from the community. Samaritan Center hopes to quickly identify that match and have a total of three counselors in Dripping Springs before the end of 2021. The match will not only bring counselors to Dripping Springs but also ensure that no one in Dripping Springs is turned away because of their ability to pay.

In 2019, Samaritan Center began talking with members of the Dripping Springs community regarding gaps in mental health care and increasing access to services. They have participated in a parent-support panel discussion with DSISD and provided a social connections group for DSISD middle schoolers. Samaritan Center continues meeting with DSISD counseling staff and as many community members as possible so that the project is community-led and one that is “born and raised in Dripping Springs.” All the funds that are raised in Dripping Springs will directly benefit Dripping Springs residents.

Samaritan Center has an office in Austin, and in 2014 started talking to community members in Georgetown about how to fill gaps and increase access to mental health services. That led to establishing a presence in Georgetown with three therapists and one integrative medicine provider, providing acupuncture and body work. Samaritan Center takes insurance and Medicaid, and the Georgetown community provides financial support that allows them to offer a discounted fee scale and free services for families that don’t have any other resources.

Samaritan Center has been serving Central Texas for 47 years, providing holistic mental health services. They take a multidisciplinary approach to care and believe that overall health is dependent on mental, physical, spiritual and social well-being. For optimum health their treatment approach includes counseling and integrative medicine as well as spiritual enrichment, based on an individual’s needs and beliefs.

Samaritan Center recognizes the importance of healthy relationships and that support from family and friends is a vital component of wellbeing. A holistic approach includes individual counseling for all ages, family and couples counseling, group counseling and education, including parenting classes and wellness and prevention workshops. They have experience working with children and families who are struggling with mental health needs and emotional despair. As a non-profit agency, Samaritan raises funds so that they don’t turn anyone away because they are unable to pay. In 2007, Samaritan Center established their Hope for Heroes program specifically for veterans and their families. That important program is now about half of their agency’s work, and the funding that they already have to provide free services to veterans and their families includes the Dripping Springs area.

For mental health resources and more information, visit samaritancenter.org.