Thursday was another very important day for behavioral health in Carlsbad. Permian Basin Counseling & Guidance celebrated its ribbon cutting. 

Their location is 102 S. Main St. They can be reached at 575-249-2561 or www.permianbasincounseling.org.

Thank you to Janell Taylor, the regional director, and Dusty McCoy, clinical director, for their wonderful presentations about the services offered. D’Nae Johnson Gardner did an excellent job getting the program started. 

This program was made possible by the Permian Strategic Partnership, which is a consortium of oil and gas companies who are working to help the communities in the area. Permian Basin Counseling & Guidance has operated out of the Cavern City Child Advocacy Center for several months. Chevron, working through the Carlsbad Foundation, helped sponsor a play therapy room.  Thanks to the May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust, there is no cost to veterans. In fact, the program offers a sliding scale based on income for all services. 

To say that counseling services are important to our community would be an understatement. We have a lot of people hurting right now here and elsewhere. We have seniors afraid to get out due to COVID concerns. We have kids dealing with cyberbullying and phone addiction – on top of everything else we all had to deal with when we were kids. The need to provide counseling and guidance services has never been greater.

In fact, a recent survey conducted by the PSP showed a high suicide rate in Eddy County and a high drug overdose rate. We believe one of the reasons for these statistics is related to the bottom falling out on our state’s mental health system several years ago. Critical behavioral health services were not offered. 

That is all in the process of changing.  These professionals are helping our children and our neighbors.  They are working with other excellent groups in Carlsbad such as YDI, LifeHouse and the Foundry Home. The increase in opportunities when it comes to behavioral health and rehabilitation in Carlsbad over the past couple years is a remarkable success story. 

Due to services such as those provided here, we believe we will be able to reduce the high suicide and drug overdose rates. However, those statistics are much less important than the individual stories of the people involved. If the counselors introduced at Thursday’s welcoming can make a difference in one troubled boy or girl’s life-and we know they will- then that makes every bit of effort worthwhile.  

This is and will remain a priority in our community. Congratulations again on all of the hard work over the past few years.

From the office of Mayor Dale Janway