Pennsylvania Counseling Services – West Philadelphia Street - York, PA

About Pennsylvania Counseling Services – West Philadelphia Street

Pennsylvania Counseling Services (PCS) offers accessible outpatient therapy for adults and adolescents struggling with substance use disorders and mental health issues or both. This clinic is located on West Philadelphia Street in York less than a mile west of downtown and two miles south of US Route 30 for direct route access to nearby Lancaster and Gettysburg.

They strive to create a safe, conducive and nurturing outpatient setting where clients are inspired to discuss their struggles and get the support necessary to start healing. They even offer optional telehealth across all their service locations. Telehealth can be particularly helpful for clients staying in remote locations as it eases transportation constraints. PCS keeps costs low by accepting Medicare, Tricare and several major private insurance companies. This also ensures access to care for broader audiences.

Pathway to Recovery and Personal Growth

York Psychiatric Clinic guides clients toward lasting recovery and personal growth via quality, tailored care that addresses current and ongoing needs. They offer both general outpatient (OP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP) to help adults over 18 navigate mental issues, unhealthy substance use and co-occurring disorders.

Therapeutic support is delivered in both group and individual formats by a multidisciplinary team of experts. These experts employ various proven methods like cognitive behavioral techniques and motivational interviewing to encourage change in behavior and thought patterns that often lead to substance dependence.

Specialized programming includes a Spanish recovery group that provides culturally responsive support and guidance for Spanish-speaking clients. They even offer Christian or spiritual counseling, which can help you find purpose and hope in recovery through connection to a higher power. Psychiatric evaluation and medication management may be provided as part of integrated care for patients with co-occurring disorders. This ensures well-rounded care that fosters general wellness of the mind, body and spirit.

Specialized Adolescent Recovery

The experts at PCS employ contingency management to help adolescents aged 12 to 17 navigate recovery. Contingency management is a proven approach that combines behavior management with cognitive behavioral techniques to promote lasting abstinence.

The technique basically rewards positive behavior like attending therapy or abstaining from drug/alcohol use with incentives such as vouchers or small prizes. Adolescents in recovery may receive a gift card for passing a drug test. This can help reinforce their motivation to stay sober. Emphasis is placed on weakening the rewards associated with using drugs by substituting them with healthier activities that encourage lasting abstinence.

Adolescent recovery in PCS highly emphasizes the involvement and support of your family, caregivers and even other natural support networks. Teens attend between 14 and 18 therapy sessions during the program to build practical coping and relapse prevention strategies. Sessions are tailored so teens can continue schooling and other daily routines while receiving care. The program also involves drug screening to monitor progress and compliance with treatment guidelines. PCS also offers school-based adolescent outpatient recovery, truancy prevention services and student assistance programs.

Latest Reviews

Lea Leiby

3 months ago on Google

While Dr Hutton is very nice, the people at the front desk, minus Caleb (?) could use some help in the customer service dept.. Whoever I spoke to yesterday (12/27/22) was very soft spoken, so I asked her NICELY if she could please speak up and she practically bit my head off; interrupting me, being rude, etc. I called today (6/3/2024) to request the link for an appt and the girl whi answers the phone basically called me a liar and blamed me for THEIR mistake, which I DO NOT appreciate. They need to hire better front desk staff. Again, today, (11/11/23), I called today have them send me the link and the receptionist was rude. I don't appreciate it. Had appt today (2/10)and called today have someone send the link (because they NEVER do) and the lady who picked up basically yelled into the phone andbsaid" PA counseling, please hold" in a rude manner, which i do not appreciate; also said "hold on a sec" then hung up on me!

Response from the owner1 year ago

Thank you so much for your feedback, and we are deeply sorry for the frustration you ve experienced. Unfortunately, due to confidentiality laws, we cannot discuss treatment-related comments nor confirm or deny whether someone is a client. However, we value your perspective. You may reach out to Tim Nicklas, VP of Treatment Services, who would gladly listen and discuss your concern: tnicklas@pacounseling.com.

Ronald Silks

4 months ago on Google

they tell you they take your inssurance then keep charging you for other things that they say are not covered,i'm now $230.00 out of pocket and they are asking for $300+ now for a polygraph test,,, but still i received no help from them yet,,no returned phone calls,or anything,called and left messages but know returned calls,,

Greg Truthan

4 months ago on Google

For fear of sounding like a "Karen"...PA counseling is completely unprofessional and incompetent.I was originally enrolled in substance abuse treatment. At my evaluation the counselor was not attentive at all. She kept clock watching, then admitted to doing so, saying "don't think I'm clockwatching, Im just trying to make sure I'm aware of the time since I have an appointment after you". That is literally the DEFINITION of clock watching. After my evaluation I opted for mental health treatment instead. I was told I'd have to call patient registration to schedule that evaluation, even though I was already there and the front desk staff were still present. When I called to schedule the follow up appointment even the person from patient registration seemed puzzled as to why the additional step was necessary. I took the day off work for the upcoming appointment. When I arrived on that date, I was told that I wouldn't be able to see anyone because they still needed a piece of documentation. Since I already took the day off I physically tracked down that piece of documentation, brought it back, and scheduled yet another intake appointment. I was unable to get an additional day off of work, and had to reschedule the appointment last minute. I did that, then flubbed putting the appointment in my calendar (which was my bad) and missed it. I called the day after to reschedule and was told there was a hold on my account and that id have to leave a message with the supervisor to get it removed. I left a message. I NEVER received a call back. I called again regarding the hold, and was told that because I missed the two previous scheduled appointments I would have to come back in, fill out the paperwork, then schedule ANOTHER appointment on a future date. I told the person on the phone (the same person who commiserated with me before about how frustrating this whole process was) about all the hoops I jumped through to even get in to see someone, and was treated like this was all my problem because of the missed appointments, and that they were doing me a favor by allowing me to reschedule a third time when the first one was largely PA counselings responsibility anyway. A simple phone call would have enabled me come with the needed documentation. But that probably would have been too simple for them considering how convoluted their system seems to be. I felt like the protagonist in a kafka novel. Would NOT recommend. At all.

Rehab Score

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5.1 / 10

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Pennsylvania Counseling Services - West Philadelphia Street PA 17401

Location

Addiction Treatments

Levels of Care

Outpatient

Outpatient Programs (OP) are for those seeking mental rehab or drug rehab, but who also stay at home every night. The main difference between outpatient treatment (OP) and intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) lies in the amount of hours the patient spends at the facility. Most of the time an outpatient program is designed for someone who has completed an inpatient stay and is looking to continue their growth in recovery. Outpatient is not meant to be the starting point, it is commonly referred to as aftercare.

Intensive Outpatient

Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) are for those who want or need a very structured treatment program but who also wish to live at home and continue with certain responsibilities (such as work or school). IOP substance abuse treatment programs vary in duration and intensity, and certain outpatient rehab centers will offer individualized treatment programs.

12-Step

12-step programs are addiction recovery models based on Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). A number of substance abuse programs (including some drug and alcohol rehab centers) use the 12 steps as a basis for treatment. Beginning steps involve admitting powerlessness over the addiction and creating a spiritual basis for recovery. Middle steps including making direct amends to those who've been hurt by the addiction, and the final step is to assist others in addiction recovery in the same way. 12-Step offshoots including Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Cocaine Anonymous (CA), Dual Recovery Anonymous (DRA), Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) and Gamblers Anonymous (GA).

Aftercare Support

Completing a drug or alcohol rehab program shouldn't spell the end of substance abuse treatment. Aftercare involves making a sustainable plan for recovery, including ongoing support. This can include sober living arrangements like halfway houses, career counseling, and setting a patient up with community programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA).

Treatments

Mental health rehabs focus on helping individuals recover from mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and more. Mental health professionals at these facilities are trained to understand and treat mental health issues, both in individual and group settings.

Substance rehabs focus on helping individuals recover from substance abuse, including alcohol and drug addiction (both illegal and prescription drugs). They often include the opportunity to engage in both individual as well as group therapy.

Clinical Services

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a modified form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a treatment designed to help people understand and ultimately affect the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. DBT is often used for individuals who struggle with self-harm behaviors, such as self-mutilation (cutting) and suicidal thoughts, urges, or attempts. It has been proven clinically effective for those who struggle with out-of-control emotions and mental health illnesses like Borderline Personality Disorder.

In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a clinical approach to helping people with substance abuse issues and other conditions shift behavior in positive ways. It is more goal-oriented than traditional psychotherapy, as MI counselors directly attempt to get clients to consider making behavioral change (rather than wait for them to come to conclusions themselves). Its primary purpose is to resolve ambivalence and help clients become able to make healthy choices freely.

Trauma therapy addresses traumatic incidents from a client's past that are likely affecting their present-day experience. Trauma is often one of the primary triggers and potential causes of addiction, and can stem from child sexual abuse, domestic violence, having a parent with a mental illness, losing one or both parents at a young age, teenage or adult sexual assault, or any number of other factors. The purpose of trauma therapy is to allow a patient to process trauma and move through and past it, with the help of trained and compassionate mental health professionals.

Staff

Roy Smith

Founder

Ruthie Davis

CEO

Becki Hager

CFO

Kimberly Ernest

President

Tim Nicklas

VP of Treatment Services

Patricia Barrios

VP of Financial Operations

Don Hager

VP of Information Technology

Leah Hannah

VP of Marketing & Development

Contact Information

(855) 272-1653

Website

301 West Philadelphia Street
York, PA 17401

Get Help Now - 717-287-9194

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Reviews of Pennsylvania Counseling Services – West Philadelphia Street

2.6/5 (27 reviews)

Google Reviews

2.6 (27 reviews)

4 months ago

Response from the ownerInvalid relative date format:

Thank you so much for your feedback, and we are deeply sorry for the frustration you’ve experienced. Unfortunately, due to confidentiality laws, we cannot discuss treatment-related comments nor confirm or deny whether someone is a client. However, we value your perspective. You may reach out to Tim Nicklas, VP of Treatment Services, who would gladly listen and discuss your concern: tnicklas@pacounseling.com.

Kristen Smith

5 months ago

I was referred to their trauma specialist. She canceled our initial appointment via text and only offered one evening the next week. I could not take that appt. Never received any phone call from her, from anyone for that matter. I was dealing with their one counselor, amanda, before this and her level of communication could not be disputed. She did a very good job. So they closed out my chart.. on Christmas.

Jessica Wisniewski

6 months ago

My daughter was released from the hospital with a follow up appt for pa counseling services - she was unable to be seen due to me not signing their credit card form which stated they can charge my card and will notify me after it's charged. I told them I didn't want my card on file so I wouldn't be signing that form and they said it was for the portal - a portal that I wasn't signed up for, nor did I want to be. But no where on the form did it state anything about the portal. Long story short- the form didn't say what they said it said! (Mind you, this was not a standard form that states that I would be financially responsible) This was an additional form TO KEEP MY CARD ON FILE. no, thanks!! I called the registration office and left a voicemail for the supervisor as advised by the front staff, with no return call. I emailed the Vice President, Tim Niklas, who asked me which location it was (with a typo - very professional these people)....with no follow up information.......The icing on the cake was when I was received an invoice for a $50 no show fee! Which is on par from the vibes I received after reading this ridiculous form. I was told she wouldnt be seen if I didn't sign the form - trying to bully me into submission and then charged me for it! Disgusting practice. Bars on the window. Not suitable for children. 301 W Philadelphia St, York, PA 17401

Christina Lasater

The staff is nice works great

Deborah Friedel

1 year ago

I see Kim Millhimes on George street. I have made incredible progress in identifying and maintaining healthy boundaries with people I’m close with. I have finally been able to identify my own, individual values and live by them! This has lead to huge changes in the way I live my life. In the past, I really didn’t know who I was because I was always focused on other people’s emotions and values to the detriment of myself. With each session, I grow in a positive direction! I also enjoy the interaction with Cindy who works the front desk. Cindy is super professional along with being kind and making me laugh at times. I feel very well cared for here. I feel emotionally and psychologically safe here.

Sly Wms.

Okay virtual therapists. They just need more better social skills. In the world of business it's called pro-active effectiveness. God blessedness and peaceful yearnings.

Alejandro Magana Zavala

I do not recommend Pennsylvania Counseling Services. I was discharged because I cursed over the phone while speaking to the front desk woman, speaking about the psychiatrist and not directly at her. I was having a bad day, I've been going through a tough time, and THIS IS A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY! This is the one and only time I have not been able to control my emotions and they knew that, and it was over the phone. The staff didn't even bother to check if I'm ok, if I am safe, what's going on, they decided to discharge me instead. Then, they lied about the reason for discharge, sending me a letter stating that I CHOSE TO BE DISCHARGED which is a lie. I can't find a psychiatrist in my county now due to lack of doctors in that field. Psychiatrists hold so much control over a medicated patient and their corrupt practices is the reason why there are more attorneys fighting negligent mental health services than there are psychiatrists and mental health services available right now. Avoid Pennsylvania Counseling Services.

Magdaly Rivera

Fed up Done!

Rude lady at the front desk. Won't be returning.

Elena Melendez

2 years ago

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Pennsylvania Counseling Services – West Philadelphia Street