Shippensburg University’s Growing Edges Community Clinic is a non-profit educational and community-based counseling clinic. Led by Clifford Brooks, chair of the department of counseling education, the clinic is staffed by counseling interns and graduate students.
Last spring, the clinic renewed its partnership with Big Spring School District. Under the supervision of doctoral students, this renewed funding allowed two master’s level graduate students to offer on-site counseling to students at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
Additionally, Growing Edges and the social work department conduct a group each semester at Shippensburg Middle School, and provide virtual counseling for the university’s PDO grant, supporting teachers across Pennsylvania.
Growing Edges also renewed its contract with South Middleton School District, and has initiated four counseling groups funded by a $10,00 grant from Wellspan Community Grants.
Last spring, 15 master’s level graduate students provided services, all supervised by doctoral students.
“One of our doctoral students coordinated the Big Spring grant, which allowed us to serve 145 clients with a total of 1,300 sessions last year,” Brooks explained.
As Growing Edges continues to develop and receive support, the clinic is always looking for ways to improve and expand its services.
“We continually innovate to meet the growing demands in the community.” Currently, the clinic runs a support group for single mothers and children and plans to launch a group to assist families affected by Alzheimer’s and memory-related issues.
The clinic’s renewed partnerships throughout the region exemplifies its commitment to offering accessible mental-health services to those in need. Currently, Growing Edges provides individual counseling services to students, even during the summer. Students can receive services virtually or in person at the on campus location at Shippen Hall, and at Grace Place located at 21 N. Prince Street.
For more information about the Growing Edges Community Clinic and its services, visit the SU Magazine’s Summer 2023 edition.
