Working for Affordable Access to Mental Health Care

In the early 1990's Mr. Krist became interested in the availability and affordability of mental health care to people lacking the financial resources to receive badly needed care. This interest stemmed from Mr. Krist's representation of hundreds of clients in need of mental health care as a result of physical or emotional trauma, many of whom were not afforded appropriate mental health care.

As a result Mr. Krist was invited to join the board of directors of the Samaritan Center for Counseling and Education in Houston, Texas. The Samaritan Center affords mental health counseling to persons in need on a sliding scale fee basis according to their ability to pay. Impoverished persons are treated without charge.

After six years of service to the Samaritan Center in Houston, Mr. Krist was named one of only twenty-eight Directors of the Samaritan Institute, the governing body of over five hundred Samaritan Center offices in three hundred fifty-five cities. As such, the Samaritan Center networks comprises one of the largest not for profit mental health care networks in the United States.

In addition to his commitment of time and effort, Mr. Krist has been one of the largest financial contributors to the Samaritan Center and remains proud to give something back to the community of people he continues to serve through his representation of victims suffering from physical or mental injuries.