Our Story

Mercer Council offers a variety of evidence-based programs, services and support to provide children and families with tools that empower them to make healthy, safe and responsible choices.

The Mercer Council was founded in 1978 by Kay McGrath. Her mission at that time was to prevent addiction, assist those suffering from addiction in getting treatment, and educate everyone about what they could do to reduce the adverse outcomes of addiction. Kay worked to extend the reach of the Council through any means she could. Geetha Arulmohan continued the tradition of strong female leadership in 2003 as she restored the Council’s financial foundation and purchased and renovated our current building so that we can continue to get the benefits of owning our property.  She focused on Cross-training all staff to encourage all grant programs to collaborate, which ensured the continuation and expansion of services to meet the needs of the Mercer County residents.

Under the governance of a voluntary Board of Trustees comprised of professionals living and working across Mercer County, the Council works diligently to review and improve on its methods in order to maintain the highest quality delivery of programs, services and support to the community. The Board supports Mercer Council by providing oversight of our programs and of the agency’s financial health, and are an essential part of our agency’s leadership.

Mercer Council continues to work in the field of substance abuse prevention and early intervention, and has formed important strategic partnerships with community-based groups and associations around the county in order to leverage resources to best serve members of all of our community. Click to read more about our Community Coalitions.