For Mental Health
Community Based Counseling
We offer a wide range of mental health services for children and families.
We offer a wide range of mental health services for children and families.
About the Program
Our Community Based team provides mental health services to clients in their homes. Our clients often struggle with mental health symptoms that hinder their ability to live independent, productive lives and have the greatest need for assistance.
Our clinicians are equipped with the training and tools necessary to be active, supportive guides in the treatment process while engaging clients in learning new coping strategies, communication methods, social skills, and techniques to regulate mental health symptoms while working to support clients’ ability to live independent and productive lives. These services are designed to be intensive in nature and prevent clients from hospitalization, out of home placement, and/or contact with the criminal justice system.
Our Clients
Community Based Services programs provide mental health services to people with a full range of mental health and behavioral concerns. While most of our programs are Medicaid funded, we also work hand in hand with most local Departments of Social Services (FAPT), Community Service Boards, and the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice.
What Makes Us Different
We have the unique ability to “meet people where they are,” bringing services to our clients in their own homes. This type of counseling is especially impactful because the effects of trauma and mental health diagnoses often play out in significant ways in the home setting, affecting a person’s ability to function within families and other interpersonal relationships. Our Community Based team has clinical expertise in specialized areas of mental health care needs including:
Mental Health Skill Building Services: This service provides one-to-one assistance to adolescents ages 16 and older and adults with severe mental health diagnoses who have a history of psychiatric interventions and challenges. Our Mental Health Skill-Building clinicians function similarly to life coaches, assisting youth and adults who are living independently, or transitioning to independent living, with maintaining stability in their homes by providing training in life skills such as budgeting, managing and attending appointments, nutrition, advocating for their needs with providers and within systems, anger management, impulse control, and positive social interaction.
“Ms. Coretta and Ms. Christina have helped me be a better man. I’m thankful for their help in changing my life.”
—Andrae, Mental Health Skill Building client
Mylira Green, MSW, LCSW
Director of Community Based Programs
Mylira Green serves as the Director of Community Based Programs. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Certified Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach Clinician. Mylira received her Bachelor of Social Work from Norfolk State University and Master of Social Work from University of Southern California. In her spare time, Mylira loves being one with nature and serves as an author, reiki master, and transformational speaker to help individuals grow from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Her heart is her husband, rainbow daughter, and miracle son. Mylira is passionate about providing preventative services to lower the number of individuals in mental health facilities while providing trauma informed care to help victims of trauma not only survive but thrive.
Terry Kenworthy, MSW, Supervisee in Social Work, SOTP-Trainee
Community Based Services Program Manager
Terry is pursuing licensure as an LCSW and is in supervision for Certified Sex Offender Treatment Provider (CSOTP). He holds a Bachelor of Art Degree in Psychology from Virginia Wesleyan College and a Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. Terry was a Firefighter and EMT with Norfolk Fire-Rescue for ten years and has two daughters. Terry is passionate about community-based services and strives to be a support and advocate for his clients.
Sheridan Meriwether, MSW, Supervisee in Social Work, SOTP-Trainee
Community Based Services Supervisor
Sheridan is a Supervisee in Social Work and a trainee to become a Certified Sex Offender Treatment Provider (CSOTP) for children and youth. She received a master’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in Children, Youth and Families from Delaware State University (2009). Sheridan joined The Up Center in 2013 as a therapeutic family clinician working with youth and families in the foster care system. She has a passion for empowering the family unit to heal through traumatic experiences and overcome obstacles and challenges. Sheridan also provides outpatient services for The Up Center. She received certification as a Trained Adoption Competence therapist in 2018. She utilizes frameworks to include person-centered, strengths-based, and trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy.
All Community Based clinicians hold a minimum of a QMHP-A or QMHP-C, with the majority of clinicians being Masters’ Level Trained and license-eligible in either social work or mental health counseling. Our clinicians additionally hold specific skills, training, and certification in such areas as Trauma Informed Care, TF-CBT, hypnotherapy, Autism Spectrum Disorders, childhood trauma, eating disorders, LGBTQIA+, kinship care placements, SAY/YSB, and navigating the juvenile justice system.
Contact Us
Location: 1805 Airline Blvd, Portsmouth, VA 23702
Phone: (757) 337-3557
To refer yourself or a family member, please begin a New Client Registration to submit the required information.
To refer a potential client, please complete this Mental Health Skill-Building form.
