Mental Health Center Wins 2021 Skokie Business Of The Year Award

SKOKIE, IL — A local nonprofit offering free crisis services to families in need of mental health care was awarded the 2021 Skokie Business of the Year award.

Turning Point Behavioral Health Care Center, 8324 Skokie Blvd., was selected from among dozens of nominations from residents, according to Consumer Affairs Commission Chair Joanne Haeberlin.

"We had more nominations submitted this year than ever before. We had 142 nominations for 56 different businesses," said Haeberlin, who presented the award at Monday's village board meeting. "That's awesome."

Turning Point CEO Ann Raney said the center has significantly expanded its crisis services in the past year.

"What a year. Despite the challenges of the pandemic and the uncertainly and exhaustion foisted on all of us, our team made it through by continuing to create and innovate," Raney said.

The center increased by 70 percent the opening hours of its Living Room and Resource Center, a 10-year-old program that has shown a 99 percent success rate at keeping adults in crisis out of emergency rooms, she said.

"Finally, our staff and board are in the midst of a multiyear training program in diversity, equity and inclusivity," Raney added. "As our staff grows, we want also to grow in our recognition of barriers to care, to dismantle racial biases and other forms of oppression and to center our energies around this important work."

Raney said Turning Point also added six clinicians and two fellowships in social justice during the past year.

"This honor tonight encourages all of us at Turning Point," she said. "We'll use this encouragement to work harder on behalf of everyone in this special community."

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The runners-up for the 2021 Skokie Business of the Year Award were:

• Kneads and Wants Artisan Bakery & Cafe, 8042 Lincoln Ave.
• Sketchbook Brewing Company, 4901 Main St.
• Orange Pediatric Therapy, 5225 Old Orchard Road Suite 15
• Poochie's Hot Dogs, 3602 Dempster St.

Two of those who received honorable mentions came out on top of a survey of Skokie Patch readers earlier this year. Sketchbook, a new addition to the village, was voted the best patio in town and Poochie's, which has been in Skokie for a half-century, voted the best burger.

Past winners of the Business of the Year award include Kaleidoscope Dance in 2020, Skokie Theater in 2019, Ace Hardware in 2018 and Haben Funeral Home in 2017.

Haeberlin noted that the 2021 edition of the award was determined by a Consumer Affairs Commission with only half of its usual membership.

There are currently six vacancies on the commission, according to the village website. Applications are available online for the village's advisory boards and commissions, which are appointed by the mayor.

Mayor George Van Dusen thanked the local business community, saying it was the backbone of what makes the village great.

"Not only is it tough to be in business in a normal year — whatever normal is, I'm trying to remember," Van Dusen said. "But to survive a pandemic and to do well takes extraordinary patience, imagination and collaboration."