The El Paso Child Guidance Center is the realization of the efforts of a broad based El Paso citizens’ group who recognized the need for an outpatient treatment facility for children and their families. In 1942, this group first recorded its efforts. In 1947, the El Paso Mental Health Association appointed a chairman to spearhead this group and gather people from the community interested in working toward creating a Guidance Center.
School officials, doctors, ministers, social workers and other interested El Pasoans made up the twenty-six member Guidance Center Committee. Dr. Robert Sutherland, Director of the Hogg Foundation, University of Texas and Mr. Charles Mitchell, Director of the Mental Health Division of the Texas State Department of Health, helped this group conduct a survey to determine the readiness of the community for a Guidance Center.
As a result of this survey an eighteen member rotating board was chosen to start a Guidance Center in September, 1951. The Executive Board of the El Paso Medical Society approved the plans for the proposed Center. On February 9, 1953 the Center was incorporated as a nonprofit organization. The El Paso Child Guidance Center opened its doors on November 14, 1954 with Dr. Chester Reynolds, Child Psychiatrist, as the Director. The Center has been providing quality mental health care ever since.