Walk-in counseling center gets makeover

By Abdel Shakur

    The Walk-In Counseling Center at 2421 Chicago Ave S., recently received a much needed makeover.
    “We’ve replaced our entire exterior,” said Gary Schoener, WICC executive director. “It looks a lot a better. Part of our approach is to be a comfortable place for people to come. We also realize that we’re a part of this community and we want to help maintain the look of the neighborhood,” he said.
    Although the center’s recent renovation may improve the aesthetic appeal of their South Minneapolis community, very few community health organizations can compete with the nationally recognized WICC’s track record. For the past 32 years the WICC has provided free, confidential on-site counseling for those in need.
    Schoener, along with a group of other mental health professionals called Psychologists for Social Action, created the WICC in the late 1960s.
    “We wanted to take away some of the barriers to helping people. We don’t ask for names. We’re completely free. And people can come in right off the street and talk to a counselor,” Schoener said.
    Schoener doesn’t mince words when it comes to the quality of the WICC’s treatment. “We run one of the best programs in the country. The hundreds of counselors who have donated their time here are among the best in their respective fields. People tend to be suspicious of free programs, but we always provide a high quality service to the people who come through our doors,” he said.
    Liz Paine, volunteer training manager with the telephone counseling organization Crisis Connection, has become a big fan of the WICC.
    “It’s a fabulous community resource for quick, efficient, face-to-face service,” she said.
    Paine cited the range of counselors and information available at the center as a large reason for its popularity, “It’s a great way of getting started. They have a lot of different types of counselors and if they can’t help you then they can usually always point you in the direction of someone who can.”
    In order to continue to accomplish its mission to help underserved communities, the administration has had to keep abreast of Minnesota’s changing demographics, which includes increasing numbers of political refugees from African nations.
    Ally Beckman, who counsels at both the WICC and the Center for Victims of Torture, has seen firsthand the psychological ravages of politically motivated violence.         “There are 16,000 victims of torture in Minnesota. Seventy-three percent of them are from Africa. Although people are lucky enough to escape, they are often severely traumatized by what they’ve gone through,” she said.
    Beckman views the WICC as a crucial resource in the fight to help victims of torture in the area.
    “Whenever we’re full we always try and refer people to the WICC. That way they can get immediate help in a place they can feel safe in,” Beckman said.
    After 32 years, Schoener remains confident in the WICC’s ability to meet the challenge of improving and maintaining the psychological welfare of people in need.
    “We’re just people in the community trying to help. We try to pick up pieces and fill in the gaps where we’re needed. We can’t help everybody, but we can direct you to someone who can,” he said.
    Counseling hours at WICC are
1 – 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The center can be reached at 612-870-0565.