It takes courage to ask for help.

Asking for help is often the biggest step in making changes in your life.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis please call:

Adult Crisis Line (24 hr):
(618) 465-4388

Child Crisis Line (24 hr):
(800) 345-9049 

How to Get Help

Getting Started

When you first call Community Counseling Center you will be asked questions about your problem. We also want to know that you are safe and have no plans to harm yourself.

Depending on your problem, you may be able to work with staff from our Emergency Services department immediately.

You also may be scheduled for an assessment with a professional staff member at CCC.

What to Expect

Triage Services are the entry point to CCC. Via telephone, a Triage Specialist will interview you confidentially about your reasons for coming to CCC. The Triage Specialist will determine which CCC service is right for you, and tell you about other community resources that may be available.

You will be asked a series of questions about your symptoms, and one or more CCC programs that meet your needs will be recommended. If appropriate, the Triage Specialist will schedule you for your first appointment.

When entering one of our programs, you are assigned a counselor, therapist or case manager. This person works with you to develop a plan on how to deal with your problems. This is called an Individual Treatment Plan (ITP).

What’s in my Treatment Plan?

Your treatment plan is made up of long-term and short-term goals.

Long-term goals are how you want to feel or what problems you want to address in counseling.

Short-term goals are steps or actions you take as a way to feel better or solve you problems.

Example: If you are in treatment for depression, a long-term goal is to have the symptoms of depression go away or to not be as strong. Short-term goals to help you do this might be:
• How often you come to counseling
• Attending individual counseling
• Attending group counseling
• Taking medication for a short time
• Talking about your feelings

Treatment plans will be different as everyone has their own individual needs.

What are Counseling and Therapy?

Counseling and therapy are tools used to help people work on their problems.

Counseling and therapy involve you and a professional staff member such as a counselor, therapist or case manager. It may also mean including other people such as family members or someone that is significant to you.

In counseling or therapy you talk about your issues and learn about yourself. You will be asked to do some work that includes:
• Being as honest as you can be about yourself
• Learning information about your problem
• Looking at how you think, feel and act
• Talking about how you think and feel

You may be asked to do some homework also to help you practice what you are learning or to help you learn more about yourself.

Will Counseling or Therapy Work?

One of the biggest things to help you is you!

Your decision to actively participate in counseling or therapy will have a major impact on how effective it will be for you.

Counseling and therapy have been proven to be effective in dealing with many problems. There is no guarantee that you will always feel good while in treatment. Sometimes people struggle with thoughts and feelings while working on their problems. Counselors, therapists or even doctors are not able to do it all by themselves.

They can't make your life better.

They need you! And can help you make your life better.