Council member Khari Mosley, from left, State Rep. Lindsey Powell, Children’s Home of Pittsburgh Director of Counseling and Family Support Services Erika Schmitt and Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey prepare to cut the ribbon on The Children’s Home’s new counseling location.

By Jamie Kelly, Bulletin editor

The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh and Lemieux Family Center officially launched its outpatient mental health counseling center in June, marking an expansion of the services it offers.

The facility has offered counseling services in some form since opening in 1893, mostly under the umbrella of adoption and, eventually, foster care.

“Post-pandemic we saw a need to formalize it,” Erika Schmitt, director of Counseling and Family Support Services. On June 19, community members were invited to see the result of that work.

The goal is to provide therapy that’s accessible to more people, covering individuals, couples and families.

And while previously, most of the people who received counseling were already working with the Children’s Home in some way, the services are open to the entire community now, with insurance being accepted for counseling.

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey spoke at the open house, highlighting the importance of mental health services.

He spoke about the death of his sister due to gun violence and the way it affected her children. He said he’s seen how counseling and mental health services can save lives.

And while the trauma his niece and nephew experienced was especially awful, nearly everyone has problems they need to heal.

“All of us deal with scars from childhood,” he said.

Making sure that children and adults alike have access to the services they need can help to heal those scars.

“It’s the only way we’re going to move forward,” he said.