New counseling service opens, hosts clothing giveaway

A new behavioral health group with a passion for helping the community recently opened its doors and is already planning its first event to give back to the people of Pahrump.

Open Arms Counseling has been open for approximately two weeks, but is already set to host a clothing giveaway on Saturday at their office located at 1017 East Basin Ave., Suite 3.

“When you do (psychosocial rehabilitation), (basic skills training) and you’re out in the community you see these children who have maybe two or three outfits they rotate on a regular basis. I remember being a little kid and you get your first school outfit, and it made me so excited for school. If you don’t have that, it could be a little rough on the first day of school. So it goes back to looking at what patients’ needs are, and if that’s what their needs are that’s likely what the community’s needs are,” Staci Holbrook, Director of Open Arms Counseling, said.

The event this weekend will provide free, gently used, donated clothing to those who need it.

“The only thing we ask is don’t take anything you’re not going to use. If they can use it, they can take it,” said Jeannie Schulte, director of community relations for Open Arms Counseling.

Schulte added that the business plans to host the giveaway near the third Saturday of each month in the future.

Holbrook said the giveaway goes hand-in-hand with the company’s belief that helping the community is not only a great way to give back but also a great way to help their clients.

“You can only help a client so far with therapy, with PSR, with BST and treatment, but if you’re not helping that community the client is in, they’re missing out. That’s our passion. All of us got into the mental health field to help,” Holbrook said.

Open Arms Counseling offers a wide range of services including psychiatry, individual, group, and child counseling, psychosocial rehabilitation, basic skills training and day treatment.

Holbrook said by having all of those options under one roof, it makes it easier for counselors to refer clients for other services within the same building and to give them time to work with the skills they learn in therapy in different capacities.

“It’s so hard when a client comes in with a problem and the therapist is trying to address whatever issue they’re dealing with, but they’re only seeing them for an hour a week. So you can try to teach them the coping skills, but in that hour they don’t have the time to practice. And that’s where the PSR, BST and day treatment come in. They help them with those coping skills at home and in the community. By having everyone working under one roof they’re getting more congruency in their treatment plan,” she said.

Although the business is new to the mental health scene in Pahrump, it is staffed by a number of employees who have lived and worked in the Pahrump community for years.

There are two marriage, family, child therapist interns Stephen Stepanovich and Nancy Wilson, Director of Finances Brett Murphy, Managing Director CJ Zens, Schulte and Holbrook who make up Open Arms Counseling.

Each of the employees say they believe it is their passion to help their clients and the Pahrump community in whatever way they can.

“We’re all passionate people and we’re passionate about what we do and bringing services to this community that we feel can benefit from our business. Being able to operate in a manner where we can provide a good service to the community and at the same time do things in a manner in which we really enjoy doing our job,” Stepanovich said.

Open Arms Counseling is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The clothing giveaway will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday and is open to the entire Pahrump community.

For more information about the event or Open Arms Counseling contact the business by visiting www. openarmscounseling.com or calling the office at 775-751-0444.