COVER STORY
Finding mental health resources in DuPage
As a member of the House Committee on Mental Health and Addiction, I have been working hard to improve access to care and advocate for people who need help, in our district and throughout Illinois.
So I was deeply interested to hear the speakers at last weekend’s Mental Health Summit and Expo, which was convened by the DuPage Council on Strengthening the System for Mental Health and Substance Use Care.
It was great to connect with our local mental health and substance abuse treatment providers. I also appreciated the opportunity to hear from former U.S. Representative Patrick J. Kennedy, who has been a stalwart advocate for strengthening our nation’s mental health services.
Some of the most productive discussions at the event focused on what we can do to connect people with the support services they need. So I thought it would be useful to provide an overview of some of the services available in our area.
- The DuPage County Health Department offers comprehensive behavioral health treatment programs that focus on substance use treatment. For more information on evaluation and treatment services, please visit here.
- The County Health Department also offers highly trained crisis counselors who provide free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available by phone or text:
– DuPage County Crisis Line: 630-627-1700
– Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
– Crisis Text Line: Text REACH to 741741
You can find more help at these websites:
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- National Alliance on Mental Illness DuPage (NAMI)
- Hope DuPage
- Prevention Leadership Team
- Impact DuPage
We’re going to keep on talking about these crucial issues, and I want to make sure that we’re focused on the community mental health needs that matter most to you. So if you have a minute or two, please click here for a short survey. Thank you!