By BETH CHAPMAN / Community Columnist

Liz Stewart has been with Gateway Family Services for 25 years. She is presently the director of outpatient clinical programs at their Pelham office, which has been in existence since 1993.

Gateway provides traditional outpatient counseling services and other counseling services as needed to individuals — families, parents and children. They provide mental health services to Crossroads School in Hoover and on-site mental health services within the Shelby County School system.

Stewart is responsible for all operations within the Shelby County office including community outreach and program development. She also oversees the Shelby County Wrap Around Program which is an intensive in-home intervention program. In addition, she co-leads a transparenting class which is a seminar for parents going through divorce, modifying a divorce decree or for family members who are in custody settlements. Gateway provides community-based services such as counseling services at the Shelby County Family Resource Center in Vincent.

They have a staff of 9 full-time employees and 2 contract employees who have seen 1,244 clients over the course of the past year. They also have a bi-lingual therapist.

“One of our strengths is a strong, caring clinical staff that goes over and beyond to meet the needs of the people we serve,” Stewart said. “Gateway provides a safe and caring environment for people to get the help they need.”

Gateway of Shelby County is funded in part by Children’s Trust Fund, United Way of Central Alabama and Shelby County DHR. They are providers for Medicare, Medicaid, PEEHIP, All-Kids and a number of other insurances. They offer a sliding fee scale to their clients.

Stewart is a graduate of Leadership Shelby County and serves as a chairperson of the Mental Health and Safety Committee of the Shelby County Children’s Policy Council and as a board member for the Community Hope Health Clinic, the Shelby County Family Resource Center and is a member of the Coordinated Community Response Group.