Central Plains Area Agency on Aging offers free, award-winning mental health counseling to people who qualify.
The agency’s In-Home Counseling and Community Support Groups Program this summer received a 2026 Aging Innovations Award from USAging, a national association of area agencies on aging.
The program offers individual therapy for adults aged 60 and over and their family caregivers. CPAA also hosts a caregiver support group and a hoarding support group on the third Thursday of each month. The programs are headed by licensed clinical social worker Jessica Huber.
Jennifer Lasley, CPAAA’s director of information and community services, said one innovative aspect of the program is its ability to serve people in their own homes.
“We recognized that older adults are less likely to seek mental health care due to stigma behind treatment, concerns about costs of service, insurance barriers, a lack of transportation to get to their therapy appointments or any physical or cognitive limits they might have that would prevent them from scheduling these appointments,” Lasley said.
While the majority of people are served in their homes, they can also receive counseling virtually or in person at the CPAAA office located in the Ronald Reagan Building, 271 W. 3rd St. N., Suite 500 in downtown Wichita.
Depression, anxiety, changes in health, loneliness and grief are common symptoms for older adults seeking help. Among caregivers, stress, difficulty in coping with change and decision-making, guilt, depression and burnout are common.
Individuals can receive up to 12 free counseling sessions annually.
From January 2021 through December of last year, the program served 213 seniors and 111 family caregivers in Butler, Harvey and Sedgwick counties. To sign up or get more information about CPAAA’s counseling or support groups, call (316) 660-5120 or 1-800-367-7298.
