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Elgin Area Chamber Of Commerce: Ecker Center News For August

See the latest announcement from the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce.

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Press release from the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce:

August 02, 2021

Ecker News Read about our news and latest updates. As the summer is nearing its end and children are returning back to school, we want to remind everyone that protecting our mental health and well-being is more important than ever. The transition back to school for many children brings excitement, while other children may feel anxious.  Scroll down to the "Back to School Resources" section to view a list of organizations and websites offering support and services to help parents and caregivers support their children's mental health as they begin another new unpredictable school year. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meetings Big book discussion meetings. Connections Group for Men A therapeutic group where topics such as masculinity, vulnerability, and stereotypes that affect all men in today’s culture are discussed. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Group A cognitive-behavioral program that is designed to transform negative thinking patterns and destructive behaviors into positive outcomes. Grief Relief Group An 8-week grief group for clients aged 18+ who have experienced loss to get help coping and adapting to their new reality and reduce the isolation of grief. Kids Group Play-based therapeutic interventions with a focus on linking thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. LGBTQ+ Support Group A safe space for clients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or other to learn coping skills & find support. Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) Group for Adults A cognitive-behavioral program that is designed to enhance self-image and moral reasoning to give participants more perceived control over their lives. Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) Group for Adolescents A cognitive-behavioral program that is designed to enhance self-image and moral reasoning to give participants more perceived control over their lives. Positive Parenting Group in English Parenting group to assist parents create a plan for raising successful children. Positive Parenting Group in Spanish Parenting group to assist parents create a plan for raising successful children. PSR Program & Wellness Center Groups with topics designed to increase an individual's abilities and resources necessary for community living, socialization, work, and recovery. SMART Recovery Groups A process group for anyone struggling with substance use or any compulsive behavior. Teens Coping Skill Group (Ages 13-17) Support group to assist teens in creating and developing awareness of their emotions and behaviors and learning to understand how they are connected. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Group An evidence-based practice that will help clients feel empowered to identify the wellness tools they use every day that can help them feel better and stay better. You Too Can Heal Trauma processing group for clients aged 18+ who have experienced any form of trauma and are open to a group setting to learn new coping skills and how to process their traumatic event. Young Adults Therapy Group Support group for individuals ages 18-30 to provide an environment to process with peers and focusing on boundary-setting, effective communication skills, coping strategies, and self-care. Contact us at (847) 695-0484 or email Jennifer at jflory@eckercenter.org to request additional details about any of the groups mentioned above. We are ramping up preparations for our November gala fundraising event, One Magical Evening.  Tickets will be available starting no later than September 1st.   We have begun to receive some great items for our auction, but we are still in need of many more in order to make this event a success!  We also still have sponsorship opportunities available. Contact Kay at kcatlin@eckercenter.org or Jennifer at jflory@eckercenter.org if you are interested in donating an auction item or becoming a sponsor for the event! Stay tuned for updates! August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day , and Ecker Center will be carrying on the tradition the Overdose Awareness Day Memorial Event held at the Renz Office at Two American Way in Elgin. The event will take place near the Serenity Pond.  Guests are invited to begin gathering at 6:30 PM with the program scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM and conclude at sundown.   We invite anyone who has lost a loved one to share their names and/or photos to be included in the memorial. All are welcome and encouraged to attend!  This event will be held weather-permitting.  In the event of light rain, we recommend bringing umbrellas.  If the event must be cancelled, we will still honor our loved ones in a virtual way.  Please contact Jennifer at jflory@eckercenter.org for additional information about participation in the event. We now have a full selection of brochures for each of the programs and services offered at Ecker.  The brochure display racks were installed last week (thank you, Victor!) outside of the reception area at both the Grandstand and Renz Offices. Be sure to check out the new displays next time you're here, and help yourself to any brochures that are of interest to you! Do you know someone who is looking for a new opportunity in the behavioral health field?  If so, have them visit our website for information about positions available at Ecker Center and how to apply. eckercenter.org/employment-internships Select positions will include a hiring bonus, so apply today! We are excited to share that Ecker Center has been awarded a grant that will support expansion of the crisis care continuum to include a Mobile Crisis Response (MCR) Team. With this expansion, we will create more organizational structure to support the growth of crisis services at Ecker. Thank you to everyone involved in getting this new initiative off the ground! Our Clinical Director, Jim Brunetti, was the recipient of the Community Activist Award presented by the City of Elgin Police Awards Committee for the second year in a row!  This award is in recognition of his "professional efforts to administer Narcan to families in need and continued dedication to community partnerships with the Elgin Police Department". Thank you for all you do for our community, Jim! It's that time of year again... however, this year's "back to school" routine for many families will likely be much different than years prior.  With the uncertainty of COVID continuing to haunt us, we need to focus now more than ever on our children's mental health and wellbeing. Returning to School: Children’s Mental Health When There Is No “Normal” https://namiillinois.org/returning-to-school-childrens-mental-health-when-there-is-no-normal/ As the school year begins, establishing regular check-ins with children can help to alleviate your child’s stress and improve their outlook. Help older children recognize that schools and organizations are doing everything they can to provide the activities they seek, even if modified for current circumstances. Conversations can be as simple as the informal questions about their day over the dinner table, or by setting up a weekly date together to take their emotional temperature. Reinforcing that you are there to support them through talk, touch and time together are instrumental in times of turmoil. Make Mental Health a Priority as Students Return to School https://www2.illinois.gov/ready/Press/Pages/082120.aspx The Illinois Department of Human Services offers directories of mental health providers, school based mental health resources and activity ideas at home as a family. https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=123603 The Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership lists useful resources for a number of youth mental health concerns. https://www.icmhp.org/resources/support-resources/youth-resources/ The Wrightslaw Yellow Pages for Kids lists resources by state for children with disabilities, including educational consultants, occupational therapists, and advocates. https://www.yellowpagesforkids.com/help/il.htm Illinois Mental Health Resources for Children For crisis situations that are not life-threatening, find mental and behavioral health resources and other information below close to you. While these resources are general, the best resource is your family’s medical provider. If you are in a life-threatening situation, call 9-1-1 or go to an emergency department. If you are having thoughts of suicide or need to talk, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273-8255. If you prefer to text, you can text "START" to 741-741 where a live, trained specialist will respond back to you. Suicide/Crisis Hotlines

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Whatever your situation, remember to make it a priority to take care of your own mental health and encourage your loved ones to do the same!  We are all in this together! We are happy to welcome the following new Ecker staff members: Michael Chammany Mental Health Professional Emma Cohen Emergency Therapist Carl Douglas Finance Director Aaron Downing Residential Case Manager Tyneesha Fleming Mental Health Professional Dr. Mark Friedman Psychiatrist  Adilene Gallegos Bilingual Intake/Assessment Specialist Brandy Vishnesky Therapy Intern We're glad you're here! Do your online shopping through AmazonSmile, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to Ecker Center!  No fees or extra costs to you! Click on the image above or go to smile.amazon.com and select "Ecker Center for Behavioral Health" as your favorite charitable organization! Every penny helps! Our generous donors and community supporters make it possible for us to provide essential behavioral health services to thousands of individuals in our community. We are extremely grateful for your continued support! Get Our Latest Updates Add your email... 1845 Grandstand Pl, Elgin, IL 60123, USA (847) 695-0484 Share on social Check out our website  

This press release was produced by the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author’s own.

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