LAURINBURG — Each year the Silent Samaritans of Scotland Family Counseling Center host a luncheon aimed at helping end stigmas around mental health. For this year, the topic focuses on autism.
This year’s luncheon will be on March 7 at noon at the W. R. Dulin Center on the campus of Scotland Memorial Hospital with the theme being “Shining a Light on Autism.”
“We want to reduce the stigmas around mental health,” said Director Mary Neil Thompson. “We hope that through these different topics and with education we will be able to reduce some of the stigmas. We have several patients who are on the autism spectrum so we thought that it would be a topic people would be interested in.”
There will be three speakers addressing the topic: Chris Gibson, a teacher who works with students on the autism spectrum; Casey Locklear, who has a child on the autism spectrum; and Rocky Locklear, who is a therapist with Scotland Family Counseling Center.
The Silent Samaritan Society endeavors to help their neighbor families who are experiencing a troubled and painful time in life. Also, like the Good Samaritan, the Silent Samaritan Society provides financial gifts to Scotland Family Counseling Center, Inc. to help neighbor families with counseling support and counseling fee subsidies in a quiet and humble manner. The basic purpose of the Silent Samaritan Society is to respond to Jesus’ command to “Go and do likewise.”
Thompson said this is the one time of year that the center asks people to donate, since they are a non-profit. This year she said they’re hoping to raise $30,000 which goes towards the treatment of patients who might not be able to afford counseling.
“We don’t want to turn anyone away because they’re under-insured or don’t have insurance and can’t afford it,” Thompson said. “We encourage people to give as a Silent Samaritan, similar to the biblical parable.”
Scotland Counseling Center was founded in 2007 with one counselor working a half-day each week at Laurinburg Presbyterian Church.
There are now four full-time counselors at the center, and the facility serves a seven-county radius with patients coming primarily from Scotland, Robeson, and Marlboro counties.
The center is affiliated with Scotland Health Care System. Along with the fundraising efforts of the Silent Samaritans, the practice receives support from the United Way and local churches.
Scotland Counseling Center accepts every form of insurance and makes payment available to customers without insurance based on income and the number of people in a household.
The luncheon does not have a fee for those wanting to attend though it is asked that you contact the center to let them know if you plan on attending.
For information, call 910-276-7011 or email [email protected].
Scotland Family Counseling Center is a United Way agency, an affiliate of Scotland Health Care System and an identified ministry of the Coastal Carolina Presbytery.
Reach Katelin Gandee at 910-506-3171 or at [email protected]
