Frequently asked questions
How to get started, what we treat, what it costs, and what to do in a crisis.
The Guidance Center is a nonprofit community mental health center that provides outpatient counseling, psychiatry, addiction treatment and 24/7 crisis care for children, adults and families across 16 counties in western Arkansas.
If your question is not answered below, call (479) 452-6650. For a mental health crisis at any hour, call 479-999-9911.
Getting started
How do I become a patient at The Guidance Center?
Call (479) 452-6650 to schedule your first appointment. No referral is needed for most services. Staff will ask what kind of help you are looking for, check your insurance benefits, and schedule an assessment with a clinician at the location closest to you.
Do I need a referral to be seen at The Guidance Center?
No referral is needed for most services at The Guidance Center. You can call (479) 452-6650 and schedule an appointment yourself. Some Medicare Advantage and private insurance plans require a referral from a primary care provider, so check your plan if you are unsure.
What are The Guidance Center office hours?
The Guidance Center clinics are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and are closed Saturday and Sunday. Crisis help is separate and available 24 hours a day, every day, at 479-999-9911.
Are appointments at The Guidance Center confidential?
Yes. The Guidance Center is a healthcare provider bound by HIPAA, and your treatment records are protected health information. Staff cannot release them without your written authorization, apart from the narrow exceptions federal and Arkansas law require, such as an imminent safety risk.
Services
What services does The Guidance Center offer?
The Guidance Center offers outpatient counseling, psychiatric medication management, psychological testing, addiction treatment, 24/7 mental health urgent care, a crisis stabilization unit, residential addiction treatment at Horizon Renewal Center, school-based therapy, therapeutic foster care, adult day services, primary care through Whole Health, an on-site pharmacy and telehealth.
Does The Guidance Center see children and teenagers?
Yes. The Guidance Center treats children, teenagers and families as well as adults. Youth services include outpatient counseling, medication management, school-based therapy delivered inside partner schools, Family Centered Treatment, therapeutic foster care through the WATCH program, and the Fostering Change residential program for teens with intensive trauma needs.
Does The Guidance Center treat addiction and substance use?
Yes. The Guidance Center provides outpatient addiction treatment at its clinics and residential treatment for adults at Horizon Renewal Center in Booneville, Arkansas. It also runs DASEP, the state Drug and Alcohol Safety Education Program. Call (479) 452-6650 to find out which level of care fits.
Does The Guidance Center offer telehealth appointments?
Yes. The Guidance Center offers telehealth counseling and psychiatric appointments by video, so you can be seen from home. Most plans, including Arkansas Medicaid, cover telehealth at the same rate as an in-person visit. Call (479) 452-6650 to schedule one.
Can The Guidance Center prescribe psychiatric medication?
Yes. The Guidance Center provides psychiatric evaluation and medication management, and it operates an on-site Genoa pharmacy so prescriptions can be filled at the same place you are seen.
Cost and coverage
Does The Guidance Center accept Arkansas Medicaid?
Yes. The Guidance Center accepts Arkansas Medicaid, including Medicaid-managed care (PASSE) plans, for covered behavioral health services. Bring your Medicaid card to your first appointment.
How much does therapy cost at The Guidance Center?
What you pay depends on your coverage. With Arkansas Medicaid, covered behavioral health services have no cost to you. With Medicare or private insurance, you pay your plan copay or coinsurance. Without insurance, you pay a reduced sliding-scale fee based on household income and family size. Call (479) 452-6650 for an estimate before you schedule.
Can I be seen at The Guidance Center without insurance?
Yes. The Guidance Center offers a sliding fee scale that reduces your cost based on household income and family size. Bring proof of income to your first visit and staff will calculate your fee before you are seen. No one is turned away for inability to pay.
Crisis
What do I do if I am in a mental health crisis right now?
Call the 24-hour crisis line at 479-999-9911, or call or text 988 to reach the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If someone is in immediate physical danger, call 911. The Guidance Center also runs a 24/7 mental health urgent care you can walk into, reachable at (479) 785-9480.
Does The Guidance Center have a walk-in crisis clinic?
Yes. The Guidance Center operates a 24/7 mental health urgent care for people in crisis, plus a crisis stabilization unit for short-term residential stabilization. Call (479) 785-9480. You do not need an appointment and you do not need to be an existing patient.
Is the crisis line free to call?
Yes. The 24-hour crisis line at 479-999-9911 is free, with or without insurance. You do not need to be an existing patient and you will not be billed for the call.
About us
What is The Guidance Center?
The Guidance Center is a nonprofit community mental health center that provides outpatient counseling, psychiatry, addiction treatment and 24/7 crisis care for children, adults and families across 16 counties in western Arkansas. Its legal name is Western Arkansas Counseling and Guidance Center, often shortened to WACGC. It has operated since 1971 and is headquartered in Fort Smith.
Where is The Guidance Center located?
The Guidance Center operates nine clinics in western Arkansas: Fort Smith, Van Buren, Ozark, Booneville, Paris, Waldron, Mena, Russellville and Conway. Its main campus is at 3111 South 70th Street, Fort Smith, AR 72903. Horizon Renewal Center, its residential addiction treatment facility, is in Booneville.
What counties does The Guidance Center serve?
The Guidance Center serves 16 Arkansas counties: Cleburne, Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Perry, Polk, Pope, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Stone, Van Buren and Yell.
Is The Guidance Center a nonprofit?
Yes. The Guidance Center is a nonprofit community mental health center serving western Arkansas. It has operated since 1971 and uses grant funding to cover care for people who cannot afford to pay.
Still have a question?
Call and someone will walk you through it. There is no wrong way to start.