Compass of Carolina, based in Greenville, South Carolina and founded in 1919, has a rich history of assisting some of the most vulnerable populations within the Upstate. Originally a refuge for homeless young women after World War 1, the mission expanded to include all youth to become the Juvenile Protection Association. Serving as the precursor to the Department of Social Services, over time, Compass of Carolina evolved into an entity that focuses on addressing sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, veterans’ issues, representative payee services, and other challenges plaguing Greenville-area individuals and families. The CCME Foundation provided a $30,000 grant in 2023 to increase the capacity of the organization by hiring an additional therapist. 

Compass of Carolina offers free or sliding scale therapy with licensed clinicians, which includes individual and family counseling (in English and Spanish) for children, teens, and adults; victims’ groups, batterer and offender groups, veterans’ assistance, and the representative payee services, which assists residents on several government and social services unable to effectively pay their bills. According to Laure Rovin, Executive Director of Compass of Carolina, “No one is turned away regardless of their ability to pay.”  

Specific programs available include family violence protections programs, domestic violence support groups, male and female batterer psychoeducational groups, anger management, and veteran and first responder groups. Recently, Compass of Carolina was able to add a group called “Second Chance,” which is for students with high truancy and/or expulsion as well as for their parents. All groups are curriculum-based. In addition, Compass of Carolina has been expanding its outreach within the community to make its services more widely known within schools, businesses, government, employers, and other organizations to be able to help the most vulnerable within the community. In 2023, Compass of Carolina served a total of 1,104 individuals, of which 607 had disabilities and 623 were involved in the justice system.  

Having access to these varying specialized mental health services is critical for everyone, but even more so for the underserved, marginalized, and victimized within our communities. Jennifer, a domestic violence survivor and beneficiary of Compass of Carolina’s individual counseling services, stated, “Because of Compass of Carolina, I was able to see a counselor for the first time in my life. I am 56 years old. This organization has really helped me heal, helped me understand the things I’ve gone through all these years in my life, and I feel like I have a fresh start.”  

To learn more about the work and impact of Compass of Carolina and to support the work they are doing, please visit https://www.compassofcarolina.org.