Historical Note
Founded in 1905 as the Associated Charities of Spokane, the Family
Counseling Service has had a long history of mental health and social service
activity for the people of Spokane. It soon became the city’s chief agency for
administering both public and private funds to relieve poverty, sickness, and
family problems. During the Depression, the Service assisted in the development
of the Department of Social and Health Services. Earlier in its history, the
Service initiated the city’s first free employment service and developed work
relief programs. It created a special Women’s Employment Service and sponsored
Spokane’s first commercial school. Many services and agencies resulted from the
Service’s work, including: the Salvation Army Maternity Center, the casework
services for the Florence Crittenden Home, the Spokane Children’s Home, and the
Prisoner’s Aid Service, which became the community’s first probation
service
Content Description
The collection includes minutes of board meetings, 1918-1959;
Travelers Aid board meeting minutes, 1952-1961; several reports and scholarly
papers on social service and social counseling topics; and descriptive
histories of the Service.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access Collection is not restricted.
Restrictions on Use Collection is open for use.
Preferred Citation Family Counseling Service Records (Ms 11), Eastern Washington State
Historical Society/Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Spokane, WA.