South Chico Free Clinic

I would like to take this opportunity to share my proposal to offer free individual or family counseling for your program’s participants. Let me first provide a little background about myself. I am currently employed at Butte College in the Counseling Department since early 2014, but for nearly 5 years prior to that I worked in K-12 school-based settings as a bilingual (Spanish/English) Marriage and Family Therapist. Before that I was a social worker at a group home working with transitional age youth.

These experiences have afforded me a close-up view on how counseling can benefit families and the entire community. Offering community-based services is convenient for all involved and leads to greater collaboration. However, the cost of services or eligibility issues can sometimes create a barrier for individuals or families to find the support they need. This seems to be especially the case for folks without insurance or immigration papers or who need a bilingual therapist.

Reflecting on this eventually inspired me to rethink how I could offer marriage and family therapy without so many complications. It occurred to me that I could simply provide those services for free, which is what I now do.

So please take a moment to look at the information I included about my experience and references, the agreement to services (minor and adult), and how to make a referral. Additionally, please see my animating vision for this work. I thank you in advance for your solidarity to care for and support members in our community.

Peace,

Jason Winton
www.southchicofreeclinic.com