Breaking Mental Health Stigmas

To mark the occasion of Mental Health Awareness Month, we joined the national movement to shine a light on mental health, battle the stigma and provide support for the nearly 1.8 million Illinois adults who have a mental health condition.

In addition to the important work we continue to do in moving individuals with mental illness out of institutional settings, we hosted two mental health open houses, the first taking place at our newly named Everest Center in Oak Lawn. Chicago area friends, neighbors and members of the public were invited to take a tour, enjoy a BBQ and meet new faces in the Envision Unlimited community. The Everest Center offers people with mental illness a place to socialize, find non-clinical support and participate in skill-building classes, recreational activities and more while working on individual goals.

We held our second open house at the Ravenswood Mental Health Center. This event showcased our staff and featured tips on journal making, grounding techniques, what stigma looks like in the workplace and what to do for someone experiencing a mental health crisis. Special thanks to Ald. Matt Martin (47th Ward) who stopped by to visit and welcome us to the neighborhood!