Hello. My name is Jennifer Mackey.
After completing my undergraduate and graduate coursework in criminal justice, I began a career in law enforcement. As a police officer, I witnessed the connection between criminal behavior and addiction.
LMAC and LMSW
With my desire to help others and seeing a need for change, I returned to college. There, I earned my master’s in addiction counseling and became a Licensed Masters Addiction Counselor (LMAC).
In 2014, I realized the need to address both substance abuse and mental health disorders of my patients at the same time. I obtained my master’s in social work and became a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), which enables me to treat both.
I’m also a certified counselor for SB123, the drug treatment alternative program for prison time in Kansas.
Now, I have over 14 years of experience in both inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment.
My passion is the juvenile population.
When working in the child welfare system, I often witnessed how youth fell through the cracks of our school, legal, and foster care systems. Because of what I saw, I became a certified educational advocate in Kansas. This allows me to work with the court and school systems to aid youth who do not have a parent or guardian to help them make their best educational decisions.
I am also certified in mediation services. I help young offenders meet with their victims face to face. By talking things through, the offenders can better understand how their actions affected their victims. The goal is to help them avoid getting into trouble again.
I focus on helping young people and their families, especially those from tougher financial situations. I also work with patients who have a history of legal trouble or violence.
Teacher
In addition to working with patients at The Caring Center of Wichita, I teach addiction classes at Wichita State University as an adjunct professor and serve as a substance use and mental health therapist for a local school district.
If you are a youth who needs help — or a parent or guardian, call our office at 316-295-4800 to schedule an appointment. I can help. The road to recovery can lead you to a more meaningful, and confident life
~~ Jennifer Mackey
