Program areas at NAMI Chicago
THROUGH A SUBCONTRACT WITH TRILOGY, A COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH TRILOGY, NAMI CHICAGO HAS BEEN CONTRACTED BY THE ILLINOIS DHS TO PROVIDE OUTREACH AND PEER SUPPORT TO THE RESIDENTS AT ILLINOIS NURSING FACILITIES CATEGORIZED AS SPECIALIZED MENTAL HEALTH REHABILITATION FACILITIES SMHRFs AND SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES SNFs IN COOK COUNTY. OUTREACH WORKERS EXPLAIN TO THE RESIDENTS THEIR RIGHTS UNDER THE WILLIAMS AND COLBERT CONSENT DECREES AND PROVIDE SUPPORT AND HOPE DURING A TIME OF TRANSITION. IN THE WILLIAMS VS PRITZKER LAWSUIT AND THE COLBERT VS PRITZKER LAWSUIT, THE STATE OF ILLINOIS WAS FOUND IN VIOLATION OF TITLE II OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. THE SETTLEMENTS COMMIT THE STATE OF ILLINOIS TO DEVELOP MORE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND OFFER SMHRF AND SNF RESIDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE AND RECEIVE SERVICES IN INTEGRATED, COMMUNITY SETTINGS. ADDITIONALLY, ILLINOIS DHS CONTRACTS DIRECTLY WITH NAMI CHICAGO FOR THE PEER AMBASSADOR PROGRAM OUTREACH 710 WHICH OFFERS PEER BASED OUTREACH TO INDIVIDUALS AS THEY ARE CONSIDERING MOVING TO COMMUNITY LIVING FROM SMHRFFs AND SNFs.
Program service accomplishments Nami Chicago continues to support our community in many ways. From july 2021 to june 2022 this included1911 trainees for workplace wellness including 5 community based organizations, 4 first responder/government agencies, 5 healthcare providers, and 2 non-profits 10,310 calls completed through Nami chicagos mental health information, referral and crisis helpline involving referrals to more than 1,400 different support programs and agencies 300individuals and their families served by forging connections with service providers and supporting connection to ongoing care 3,208 teens trained via ending the silence 30 pilot participants for Nami chicagos youth mental health awareness 309 learning collaborative participants reached across 45 college campuses advocating for mental health supports on college campuses 55 more peer support group participants and 17 more family support group participants in 2022 190 more people served in the in-home recover program and 94 of support group attendees report feeling more connected to others like them.
In-home recovery support- Nami Chicago has been contacted Illinois dhs to provide peer support services to residents moving out of specialized mental health rehabilitation facilities smhrf and skilled nursing facilities snf into independent community living under the williams and colbert consent decrees. Nami recovery support providers provide peer support and reassurance in exercising new skills, adjusting to new environments, or experiencing potential stressors provided to outreach members in early transition from a smhrf or snf to independent community living by a person with lived experience in recovery.