Legacy Counseling Center Awarded $100,000 from Meadows Foundation for New Walk-In Clinic

Feb. 13, 2013 - PRLog -- DALLAS - Legacy Counseling Center recently received a generous grant of $100,000 from the Meadows Foundation that will keep the agency's new mental health and substance abuse walk-in clinic for newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals operating for the foreseeable future.

The new walk-in service was initially intended to operate only during the holidays in December, 2011, but due to such a successful surge of clients, Legacy decided to make the walk-in clinic a permanent addition to the center’s services.  The walk-in clinic's success is directly related to the agency's new ability to immediately begin seeing patients in need.  Over the past year, Legacy has seen as many as 40 new walk-in clients each month, resulting in a significant increase in clients, which subsequently caused the agency to experience its first operational deficit in over a decade. The Meadows Foundation Grant provided significant financial relief to offset the shortfall.

“Most positive people have to reach a certain level of emotional pain to seek help,” said Melissa Grove, Executive Director of Legacy. “Thanks to the Meadows Foundation grant, no one will be turned away who needs our care because it is important to assist people at the very moment they seek help.  One of the Meadows Foundation primary initiatives is mental health and they have shown great insight in focusing on this very important issue which impacts so many in our community.  In contending with people specifically with HIV and AIDS, mental health and substance abuse issues are particularly essential because of their direct impact on medication adhearance, health outcomes, and simply disclosing HIV status to others. “

The Legacy walk-in clinic operates from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. on Friday.  Any HIV-positive person who comes during those hours will be seen by a trained therapist, but Grove encourages new clients to call ahead as the agency sees individuals and groups seven days a week, 14 hours a day.  People who are HIV+ and need mental health or substance abuse care can call (214) 520-6308 ext. 302 for an appointment or contact the agency’s 24/7 crisis hot-line (214) 207-3953 in case of an emergency.  

The Meadows Foundation (http://www.mfi.org) exists to assist people and institutions of Texas improve the quality and circumstances of life for themselves and future generations.  The Meadows Foundation strives to exemplify the principles of its founder in addressing basic human needs by working toward the elimination of ignorance, hopelessness and suffering, protecting the environment, providing cultural enrichment, encouraging excellence and promoting understanding and cooperation among people.

Legacy Counseling Center (http://www.legacycares.org) (http://www.legacycares.org) provides individual and group therapy to HIV-positive people and their families. Legacy also operates Founders Cottage, a seven-bedroom house that provides 24-hour care for critically ill AIDS patients in a home-like setting and the Grace Project, a dynamic support program exclusively for HIV-positive women.