Wichita State University’s Center for Community Support and Research (CCSR) has launched a comprehensive online database cataloguing self-help groups across Kansas.

The database was created as a partnership with Kansas Health Solutions (KHS) and the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.

The database lists more than 1,800 local self-help groups and more than 1,000 national self-help organizations covering a range of topics, such as addictions, parenting, caregiving, mental/physical health and relationships.

This makes the self-help group database one of the largest and most updated resources of its kind in the United States.

The project is a crucial stepping stone in CCSR and KHS’s mission to improve the awareness of the availability and viability of self-help groups as a complement to other health and mental health services.

As a part of this mission, CCSR will be working with KHS to provide training and education for Medicaid providers about self-help groups and how to use the self-help group database to effectively provide referrals.

The database is available to the public at http://www.supportgroupsinkansas.org/shn1.0/.

Visitors to the website can browse group listings by keyword, category or location. CCSR also will be offering phone referrals at (800) 445-0116.