The Guidance Center

The Guidance Center (Western Arkansas Counseling & Guidance Center)—the community mental health center proudly serving Booneville and surrounding areas in South Logan County, Arkansas, as part of our statewide network. Located at 174 North Welsh Avenue in Booneville, we provide accessible, compassionate mental health and substance use treatment for individuals and families, offering a wide range of outpatient services, crisis support, and integrated care to help our neighbors navigate challenges and build healthier lives.

We serve Booneville—a historic community founded around 1828 as one of the oldest towns in western Arkansas, originally settled near the Petit Jean River in the Arkansas River Valley and now home to approximately 3,800 people. Nestled in the foothills of Mount Magazine State Park—the state's highest point at 2,753 feet—and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ouachita Mountains, our town offers a peaceful rural lifestyle enriched by outdoor recreation, family farms, small businesses, local schools, healthcare facilities, churches, youth programs, and community events. In this setting, where unpredictable weather, winding rural roads, agricultural operations, and the everyday stresses of family life, work, and isolation shape daily living, a local behavioral health center is essential for providing timely mental health support, substance use treatment, crisis intervention, and therapy—helping residents manage anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, and co-occurring disorders while staying connected to home, family, and community resources.

The Guidance Center specializes in comprehensive behavioral health and substance use services tailored to the needs of rural Arkansas residents:

• Outpatient Counseling: Individual, group, family, and couples therapy using evidence-based approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), experiential therapy, and trauma-focused care to address mental health concerns, emotional challenges, and life transitions.
• Substance Use and Addiction Treatment: Flexible outpatient programs for alcohol and drug addictions, including dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders; medication management; and specialized support for recovery and relapse prevention.
• Crisis and Urgent Care: 24/7 hotline support (800-542-1031), crisis stabilization, and non-emergency warm line (479-452-6655) for immediate help during mental health emergencies or overwhelming moments.
• Specialized Programs: Services for adults, young adults, teens, and children (including age-appropriate care and support for serious emotional disturbances); women's and men's tailored programs addressing gender-specific needs; integrated dual diagnosis treatment; illness management and recovery; and therapeutic foster care referrals.
• Additional Support: Case management, psychological testing, suicide prevention, and coordination with primary care or other services for holistic wellness.

The benefits of choosing The Guidance Center include:

• Local Accessibility: Our Booneville clinic (479-675-3909) offers convenient, no-wait care close to home—reducing travel barriers for rural families, farmers, and seniors.
• Affordable and Inclusive Care: Accepts Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, self-pay, financial aid, and military insurance—no one is turned away due to inability to pay; we prioritize access for underserved communities.
• Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Care: Licensed and accredited services with a focus on integrated treatment (mental health and substance use), crisis response, and long-term recovery—delivered by caring professionals who understand rural Arkansas challenges.
• Community Commitment: As the designated Community Mental Health Center for western Arkansas (including Logan County), we're deeply invested in Booneville—providing hope, support, and tools to help neighbors thrive amid life's difficulties.

Our Booneville location is ready to help: call (479) 675-3909 for appointments, questions, or to start services. For crisis support, reach the 24-hour hotline at (800) 542-1031 or non-emergency warm line at (479) 452-6655. Visit our main website at www.wacgc.org for more on programs, telehealth options, and locations, or follow our Facebook page (@guidancecenterark) for updates, mental health tips, and community resources—message us for quick responses.

Whether you're seeking counseling for anxiety or depression, support for substance use recovery, family therapy, or crisis intervention, we're here as your local behavioral health partner—offering compassionate, professional care with a focus on your well-being.

Supporting mental health in Booneville is our mission—because when our neighbors have access to the help they need, our community becomes healthier, stronger, and more resilient under these Ouachita skies. Reach out today—we're ready to walk with you.