As reported by Dr. David L. Crenshaw, D.Min, LMFT, LCAS, Regional Director, Robeson Family Counseling Center

Our newest CareNet location opened May 10 in Whiteville as a satellite of our Lumberton center. Willard McPherson, pastor of Piney Forest Baptist Church in Chadbourn, has spearheaded the effort along with David Crenshaw, director of the Lumberton center. “We really appreciate the ministry of CareNet and wanted to bring a center to our county,” McPherson said. “I’ve referred many people to CareNet with great results. Their faith-centered approach to counseling is essential and extremely helpful.” (Biblical Recorder, May 14, 2011, Steve Scoggin, Faith and mental health inseparable)

In the fall of 2010, Rev. McPherson and the former Director of Missions for the Columbus Baptist Association, Warren Hill, invited CareNet to consider a counseling center in Whiteville, NC. A dinner was held in October with 35 area ministers. Bryan Hatcher, Director of Center Development and Education, and David Crenshaw spoke with this group and agreed to move forward.

Shortly after, an advisory board was started, and they located an office in Whiteville in a good location donated by someone in the community (805 N Franklin Street). One local church donated finances to get them started.

CareNet Family Counseling opened in May 2011 with David serving as the counselor one day a week. He has seen up to seven families or individuals a day. In July, they began receiving funding from the Kate B. Reynolds Tier One Grant.

Their center is unique because this region is an underserved area. There are not many licensed counselors, especially those who are faith-based. This is an exclusively Tier 1 County, and they are at the lowest economic level in the state. The five continuous counties surrounding Columbus County are all Tier 1, the only scenario like this in the state. They had a distinct and urgent need for this center.

They are now in the process of interviewing and hiring (by November 1) a full time counselor in order to develop this into a full-time, self-sustained center.

They have had a lot of community support. Their advisory board of eleven is an ecumenical group from Columbus County. They are planning a combined training for the Lumberton and Whiteville boards for October 28-29 where Dr. Scoggin will be speaking.

They do still need financial support. While the grant has been instrumental in getting the center started, they need an additional $10,000 in start-up money. As they move toward this goal, the local board is developing a strategy to realize their needs in order that mental health access will be available to more persons.

Medical offices, as well as local ministers, are giving regular referrals. They are in the process of developing a relationship with Columbus Regional Hospital for referrals as well.

If the integration of faith and mental healthcare is important to you, gifts can be sent to Robeson Family Counseling Ctr., Inc., 202 W. 15th Street, Lumberton, NC, 28358-4566. To refer this site to someone, contact 910-738-8558 or rfcc@bellsouth.net.