Pro Bono Counseling FAQs

The PBCP is a free service available to adults in Franklin County who are unemployed, uninsured, underinsured, or unable to afford traditional sliding scale fees. These include individuals and families that are struggling with situations such as unemployment, life changes, depression, anxiety, grief, and marital or family issues.

While the PBCP is not appropriate for individuals with severe mental illness, MHAOhio has other sources of information and referral to connect people in need with appropriate and available mental health treatment. All PBCP clients are prescreened for appropriateness. If at any point an individual is determined to need more intensive services than the PBCP can offer, they will be referred to the Get Connected program or linked with an appropriate service provider.

Once a person is determined to be eligible, they are matched with a licensed mental health professional that will work with them to establish appointments and a plan for recovery.

MHAOhio recognizes that the depth of our volunteer pool is integral to providing the right service to each PBCP client. We are actively recruiting licensed mental health professionals from a variety of fields including social workers, counselors, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, psychiatrists, and graduate students in these fields.

As a PBCP volunteer, you will have the support of Mental Health America of Ohio. We offer our volunteers:

• Free and discounted CEU programs through MHAOhio
• Minimum obligation of one client (12 hours) per year
• Professional liability insurance (excludes psychiatrists)
• Counseling sites throughout Franklin County

Learn more about volunteering or register today. You can also call Get Connected at (614) 242-4357 for more information.