Thank you West Bank!
Jim Hayes, Executive Director, Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center, and Geoff Gade, Vice President, Commercial and Industrial Banking, West Bank
The Center was thrilled to receive a $5,000 grant award from West Bank to support C.O.O.L. (Children Overcoming the Obstacles of Life), the Center’s specialized mental health services for children and adolescents. COOL is a unique approach to counseling, integrating play, art, music, food, music, sports, nature and fun into the therapeutic process.
The Center is a nonprofit organization and is grateful for a broad base of community support to strengthen the mission to bring understanding, hope and healing to people of all ages through counseling and education.
This generous funding is critical to assisting children in Iowa who need high quality services. The need is demonstrated by the following statistics:
In Iowa:
- 15 percent of children (ages 0-17) live under the poverty level. (Kids Count 2018)
- 21 percent of children ages two to 17 with a parent who has been told by a doctor their child has autism, developmental delays, depression or anxiety, ADD/ADHD, or behavioral/conduct problems. (Kids Count 2018)
- Approximately 50 percent of children who need mental health treatment do not receive the services needed. (The National Alliance on Mental Health, NAMI)
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 15 — 34 years. (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 2017)
- Suicide is the third leading cause of death for ages 10-14 years. (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 2017)
The need for children’s mental health services is great. The Center’s C.O.O.L. clinic is honored to partner with West Bank to make a positive difference for children and families in Central Iowa.
