(Left to right) Jennifer Calley, Director for the Carol Wolfe Foundation; Laura Caswell, WTC Assistant Vice President for Enrollment; Angie Strickland, Executive Director for the Carol Wolfe Foundation; Karla Payne, LPC - CMH Behavioral Health; Larissa Wall, LPC-Associate - CMH Behavioral Health; Rachael Dupree-Beynon, LMFT - CMH Behavioral Health; TeriJo Gonzales, MA, LPC-S, Director of CMH Behavioral Health Strategic Planning and Director of Cogdell Cares & Growing in Grace Clinics; Collin McLarty, Chief Executive Officer of Cogdell Memorial Hospital; Dr. Laurie Sharp, WTC President.
Western Texas College and Cogdell Memorial Hospital Behavioral Health held a ribbon cutting for the new campus counseling center on Monday, September 14. The room gives students, faculty and staff a dedicated space where they can connect with counseling services on campus.
The Carol Wolfe Foundation funded the new space, which now bears the name Carol Wolfe Counseling Center. This support advances the foundation’s mission to foster resilience, promote well-being, and enhance the quality of life for all. It also reflects the Foundation’s vision of universal access to mental health services and a society that meets mental health challenges with compassion and understanding rather than stigma.
“We are extremely grateful for the generosity of the Carol Wolfe Foundation and the partnership with Cogdell Behavioral Health,” said Dr. Laurie Sharp, Western Texas College President. “Bringing a private counseling space to campus makes support easier to reach for students and employees and helps address concerns earlier.”
Created in partnership with Cogdell Memorial Hospital Behavioral Health (CMH Behavioral Health), the new space includes an area for private counseling services provided by Cogdell Behavioral Health. The space will also connect members of the Western Texas College (WTC) community with behavioral health resources and wellness programming.
The Counseling Center builds on the partnership WTC and CMH Behavioral Health announced in July. The agreement established a framework for counseling resources, referral coordination, crisis response, wellness education, suicide prevention, resilience and stress-management initiatives, and other efforts that strengthen access to care. Members of the CMH Behavioral Heath team spoke to both students and employees at the beginning of the fall semester. The team gave everyone valuable information and insights, and ways to connect with CMH Behavioral Health Services.
“At Western Texas College, we recognize that mental health and overall well-being play an important role in the success of our students and employees,” Sharp noted. “Our partnership with Cogdell Behavioral Health strengthens our commitment to supporting the whole person.”
“We are truly grateful for the partnership with Western Texas College and for the shared vision we have in bringing mental health awareness, resources and support directly to their campus,” said TeriJo Gonzales, MA, LPC-S, Director of CMH Behavioral Health Strategic Planning and Director of Cogdell Cares & Growing in Grace Clinics. “This strong strategic alignment matters because it allows us to work together with purpose, compassion and intention. We are especially grateful to the Carol Wolfe Foundation, whose generous support made this counseling center possible. Their commitment to mental health access and their compassion for this community are deeply meaningful, and it is an honor to help carry that vision forward through care, connection and support for WTC students, faculty and staff.”
The initiative advances WTC’s 2026–2036 strategic plan, Serving Students Together, which calls for holistic student support and supportive workplace practices. The Carol Wolfe Counseling Center and of CMH Behavioral Health reflect the shared commitment to creating an environment where people can find support, build resilience and thrive.