In 1970, after the death of a youth from a drug overdose, and in response to growing concerns about substance abuse among youths in town, the Town of Arlington established the Arlington Youth Consultation Center (later renamed Arlington Youth Counseling Center). Much of the counseling initially focused on substance-related issues. By 1978, the Center employed six social workers, a psychiatrist, and five paraprofessional counselors.  The founder and Director at the time, Patsy Kraemer, noted there was resistance to the idea that Arlington had a drug problem or that a youth counseling center was even necessary.  She explained at the time, "many people feel if you have problems, you have to work them out yourself." There were periodic calls to end Town financial support for the AYCC. Yet, the Center continued to provide services to an increasingly diverse range of youth and their families throughout the 1980’s.  

 In the early 1990’s, the AYCC won accreditation as a fully licensed mental health facility, one of the few town-sponsored licensed facilities in the state. Around 1995, the Center also welcomed First Step, a domestic abuse support group for women run by three local volunteers. For many years, the agency remained primarily dependent on Town funding, but in 2010, due to cuts in state and federal funding, Arlington was forced to significantly reduce its financial support for the AYCC. There was discussion that the AYCC might have to close, but the agency engaged in significant reorganizational changes to become more fiscally independent and sustainable. Since that time, through a combination of increased insurance collections, grants solicited from public and private sources, and generous gifts by community members, and some Town funding, the AYCC has thrived and has continued to provide mental health support to the youth and families of Arlington.