By Cass Rains, Staff Writer
More and better designed space is being put to good use at Enid’s Thelma J. Gungoll Youth and Family Services Center.
Executive Director Justin Simmons said the new facility, which the agency moved into in October, eclipses the previous building and allows more services to be provided.
The new building has more than 4,000 square feet of space than the old building, a former World War II barracks. The added space is designed with more utility to suit the needs of Youth and Family Services.
Added security, offices and meeting spaces and storage space for files has allowed Youth and Family Services to improve or expand its offerings.
“We have more room to do special types of counseling,” said Assistant Direc-tor Sean Byrne.
Room to counsel
The new building features a large meeting room, which allows the entire staff to meet at once. A security camera system has enhanced overall building security and allows staff a nearly full view of the entire facility.
A “family room,” which looks much like a living room, with couches, arm chairs and a coffee table, is another new addition for the agency. The room is used the for family group services.
“A lot of counselors will sign up for this room for family counseling or a group session,” Simmons said.
“We have a lot more counselor’s offices in this building than we did at the old one,” Byrne said.
The greater number of offices allows Youth and Family Services to house counselors and children under one roof.
“The vast majority do their counseling here,” Byrne said.
Another feature included in the new building is a concrete encased “safer room,” which is used as a storm shelter and a meeting space, Simmons said.
Room to grow
The group’s shelter also has been vastly improved.
Byrne said there is a common misconception children staying at the shelter have done something wrong, but nothing is further from the truth.
“Our kids aren’t bad kids,” Byrne said. “They’re good kids who’ve been in bad situations.”
Improvements in the youth shelter include an enlarged communal area, video game area, a place to do laundry, a commercial-grade kitchen and living quarters.
Most of the space is in view of staff, and all but private areas not in the view of staff are monitored by security camera.
“Most of the kids come in and are like, ‘Wow, this is cool,’” Simmons said.
“It really is a great blessing to provide this for these kids,” Byrne said.
Although there is one fewer bedroom than in the previous shelter, Simmons said there is a big advantage to the new shelter.
“The bedrooms are bigger,” he said. “There is one fewer, but they’re all bigger.”
An education room, set up much like a classroom with desks, computers and wipe boards for group or individual tutoring, has been added. Some kids who come to shelter may not have been in school for some time or others just may need help with specific concepts.
“What we wanted to do is provide a tutoring program for kids,” Simmons said.
Because of the increased and more efficient space, more group services can be offered at one time and parenting classes can be offered, as well as anger management classes.
“We are the largest out-patient counseling center in this part of the state,” Byrne said.
