Partnership is Formed with Personal & Family Counseling Services

Kent State University at Tuscarawas is partnering with Personal & Family Counseling Services (PFCS), an OhioGuidestone Organization, in New Philadelphia to provide campus-based services for students. Jennifer Benline, a licensed social worker and a licensed professional clinical counselor, will be available to meet with students Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Appointments can be made with Benline by calling 330-407-5079. Her office is located in the Science and Advanced Technology Center room 106A.

Students can meet confidentially with a counselor at no cost up to three times during an academic year. After these initial visits, students may then choose to continue with services as a client of PFCS. Students can continue to meet with Benline on campus or they can work with one of many PFCS counselors.

“I look forward to meeting and working with Kent State Tuscarawas students,” Benline said. “There are significant stressors that college students face on a day-to-day basis. Balancing home, school and work can be challenging. It is my goal to provide a safe, confidential place for students to come and talk about the aspects of life with which they are struggling and to explore effective strategies for coping with these stressors.”

Laurie Donley, director of enrollment management and student services at Kent State Tuscarawas, is a member of the campus committee that initiated the campus’ partnership with PFCS. “We know that our students have many obligations and needs in their lives beyond the education we provide,” Donley commented. “This partnership is an example of the ways we reach out to local agencies to help support our students. The benefit of partnering with a local agency is that when students graduate from the university their services do not end. They will be able to continue to work with that agency. We hope that having a counselor on campus may encourage students to seek assistance if they are in need, and that the assistance they receive will help them achieve their educational and career goals.”

According to Timothy Wicks, a licensed professional clinical counselor supervisor and a licensed independent chemical dependency counselor clinical supervisor at PFCS, “We at PFCS  appreciate the opportunity to bring quality consultation and counseling services into the Kent State Tuscarawas student community. We are committed to meeting the needs of individuals right where they are. It is great to have a local partnership with Kent State Tuscarawas and appreciate the collaborative effort offered by their enrollment management and student services.”

Since 1970, Personal and Family Counseling Services has been helping individuals and families by providing counseling, support, advocacy and education, with a focus on prevention as well as treatment. Their services are available to all residents of Tuscarawas and Carroll counties. They believe that the family is a system that is affected by each of its members, the economic environment, the community and other influences. When one member of the family is stressed, the entire system is affected. Stability is reached by assisting the entire family.

PFCS is an affiliate organization of OhioGuidestone, a community solutions organization focused on providing direction and inspiration to children, families and communities to help them become stronger. Learn more about PFCS at www.personal-family-counseling.com

 

 

POSTED: Monday, October 24, 2016 10:31 AM
Updated: Saturday, December 3, 2022 01:02 AM