Vineland Counseling Services Program 
76 South State Street
Vineland, NJ   08360

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM till 8:00 PM. 
Some therapists can arrange to see clients on Saturdays.
 
Jerry Washko, LMFT, CADC,  Program Manager

Vineland Counseling Services (VCS) provides professional counseling and psychiatric services to families, couples, adults and children.  Founded in 1971, incorporated in 1981, affiliated with SJHS in 1998 and merged with SJHS January 2000, we seek to assist in personal growth, provide help in times of stress, and teach ways to strengthen relationships of all kinds. VCS is the outpatient department of South Jersey Healthcare (SJH) Behavioral Health Services.  SJH is a private non-profit corporation.  VCS offers treatment to those suffering with various degrees of mental illness, some of whom may have been hospitalized, and people with other emotional, behavioral and relationship problems.  VCS is part of a comprehensive system of  mental health services within the South Jersey Healthcare System.  As such, VCS is committed to treat any and all who apply for service regardless of ability to pay.

Referrals are basically from the Cumberland County from a network of personal and professional sources as well as the South Jersey Healthcare System itself.  Persons also come from the area counties that neighbor us, specifically parts of Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Cape May.

Our Goals are as follows:

• Family Preservation and Strengthening; We also want to de-stigmatize mental health issues and promote access to mental health treatment through educating the general public, and networking with various behavioral health care systems.   
   
• We hope to assist families, and those within each family unit, to function more fully.  Our commitment to the entire family is the core of our work.  We try to improve what is there, develop what is missing, decrease stress, and move families through phases of life where they are often stuck in patterns of violence, abuse and neglect. 
   
• We focus on helping  seriously mentally ill clients return to previous levels of functioning.  Our staff psychiatrist provides evaluations, medication monitoring and following-up care after psychiatric hospitalizations, if needed.  Our psychiatrist also provides care for developmentally disabled clients residing in the community who otherwise would have no access to treatment.  
   
• We maintain our long-term goals of de-mystifying mental health issues and of educating the public using a number of different activities and by participation in local civic groups.

Mission Statement of Vineland Counseling Service: Vineland Counseling Service was established as an expression of the love of God to a hurting world.  Founded in 1971, incorporated in 1981, affiliated with SJHS in 1998 and merged with SJHS January 2000, we seek to assist in personal growth, provide help in times of stress, and teach ways to strengthen relationships of all kinds. We provide a full range of counseling and psychiatric services to families, couples, groups and individuals regardless of ability to pay.  Our approach is holistic:  we respect all the resources an individual has – physical, social, spiritual, intellectual and emotional.

Vineland Counseling Service

Vineland Counseling has been serving the Greater Vineland area for thirty years. Its original mission was to provide affordable mental health care to persons without insurance or high incomes and to provide the option for people to obtain counseling from pastoral counselors.

On January 1, 2000, Vineland Counseling became part of South Jersey Healthcare. South Jersey Healthcare was able to offer a full continuum of mental health care from crisis screening to inpatient and outpatient service and Vineland Counseling was able to keep its mission intact.  Vineland Counseling continues to serve the citizens of the area regardless of their ability to pay and maintains on staff counselors trained in the pastoral counseling tradition.

Vineland Counseling has continued to grow throughout the years.  Its staff now consists of 17 full-time, part time and flex time therapists trained in a variety of disciplines.  This staff includes clinical social workers, school psychologists, pastoral counselors, marriage and family therapists.  All clinicians are at the Masters level of education and licensed in their specific field.

The expertise of the clinicians is wide and varied.  They deal with depression; anxiety; grief and loss; marital problems; stress and anger management; domestic, physical and sexual abuse issues; family conflicts; communication problems; spiritual crisis; as well as attention deficit and school problems.

Vineland Counseling has made a major commitment to provide quality outpatient psychiatric evaluations and medication monitoring through utilizing the services of a psychiatrist and clinical nurse specialist from the Center of Family Guidance 21 hours per week.

What is the role of an outpatient mental health program?  Most people have no problem calling their doctor when all efforts at self care fail.  Indeed, most people would prefer to take care of themselves and most do, applying the band-aids and taking the Tylenol and Alka-Seltzer for the ailments we acquire in the course of living.  But when the physical pain or discomfort exceeds our ability to heal ourselves, we reach out to our local physician.  This is right and good.

Mental health issues that tax our ability to function smoothly in life are multiple and varied.  For instance, one might feel depressed, anxious or short-tempered. One may have had a traumatic experience that leaves him/her feeling very different from his/her normal self or may be having problems with concentration, invasive thoughts or thought processes.  One might be having a battle with excessive eating or excessive use of a substance.  One might be having chronic problems in relationships at work, at home, marital or parent/child. 

Many people have their everyday “therapists” within their circle of families and friends who help them through tough times.  Yet there are times and/or circumstances in which one requires the assistance of a trained professional.  Everyone needs help at some point in his/her life and it is important to be aware of the resources available to you regardless of the issue.  When it comes to your mental well being, the community mental health program is there for you.

We should reach out to our “mental health worker” in times of acute need just as we would reach out to our physicians for physical ailments.  Countless  times I have heard, “I wish I had gone for therapy with my spouse when he/she asked me years ago.”

I often tell clients upon leaving treatment, “You’re doing fine now, but don’t be afraid to call again if you feel the need.”  When we need the doctor we call.  Similarly, when we need the aid of our “local mental health person” we should call. 

What do people say about Vineland Counseling when they cannot carry the emotional problem alone anymore?  One wrote: “I’m glad we came…My daughter is doing so good, she is like a whole new person.”  Another wrote, “I always felt that they really cared. More like good friends that cared about what was happening with me.”

Vineland Counseling is located at 76 S. State Street in Vineland, across the street from the former Newcomb Hospital emergency room.  The Program Manager, office staff and medical personnel therapists are available to serve you. We are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM till 8:00 PM.  Some therapists can arrange to see clients on Saturdays.

Vineland Counseling accepts Medicaid and Medicare. Charity Care (the sliding fee scale) can be obtained for those who qualify through the Financial Counselors at any of the hospital campuses of South Jersey Healthcare. Vineland Counseling can accept Insurance programs provided the program has an Out of Network clause and the client is willing to pick up the possible subsequent slightly higher co-pays.

Life has its own share of pain that we sometimes cannot escape.  But no one has to suffer needlessly from emotional or mental problems. Utilize your Community Mental Health program to consult with and discover your options. Use Vineland Counseling to explore and treat your mental health concerns.