CLEARLAKE >> Konocti Senior Support. Inc. has recently announced the hiring of Francois van Wyk to head one of the services for seniors in Lake County — Senior Peer Counseling. It is a free service for individuals over 50 who are seeking help in to solve their own problems through life-to-life dialogue with senior-aged peer counselors. Francois van Wyk was born in South Africa where he attended the University of Cape Town and earned a Bachelor of Social Science degree. There he worked in the field of Human Resources. In 1986, he moved to the US and in 1996 completed a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology, becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in 2003. For the past 15 years he has worked with foster and adopted children and their families, severely mentally ill adults, as well as maintaining a private practice. His most recent position was that of Deputy Director of Lake County Behavioral Health. While there, he was monitoring the Senior Peer Counseling program for the county.
New Senior Peer Counseling Director’s Duties Organizations and individuals can request the program’s peer counseling services. The director then makes the initial home visit to assess a client’s needs and match the senior and counselor. Weekly, he provides consultations and training sessions with the peer counselors. Once a month, he will open up the second hour of the training to the public on topics relevant to aging and counseling at the various senior centers throughout the county. For specifics, contact the office.
Program seeks volunteers for the board and peer counseling Call or visit the website to find out more about being a board member or peer counselor or to get an application. To sign up for free Senior Peer Counseling services and learn about the Friendly Visitors program for isolated and home bound seniors.
Konocti Senior Support
Call 707-995-1417 www.konocotiseniorsupport.com
