Mental Health Resources
Find Help Southern Illinois connects people to area programs and services, including:
- Food and basic needs, such as food pantries, baby supplies, clothing and home goods
- Housing and shelter options
- Healthcare services, including medical, dental and vision care and transportation to health care
- Addiction and recovery support
- Mental well-being services
- Financial assistance for child care, transportation, medical supplies and more
- Education and employment programs
- Legal assistance
Use the search filter to find the help you need in your community—sort by “closest” to receive the local information first.
The resource hub is an initiative of Southern Illinois Healthcare, Healthy Southern Illinois Delta Network and the Southern Illinois Coalition for Children and Families. The hub also receives support from the McKinney Vento Program for the Homeless Region V, Carbondale Elementary School District 95, Herrin Community Unit School District 4 Family Outreach Program, and the Carbondale Community Cabinet for Children and Youth with funding provided by Birth to Five Illinois.
FIRST.IL Mental Health Program
FIRST.IL is a program of the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Mental Health. It is a specialized treatment approach that helps individuals who are between the ages of 14 to 40 and who have had a treated or untreated psychotic illness for no more than 18 months.
The program aims to reduce the symptoms of psychotic illnesses, improve individual and family functioning, promote recovery, reduce the chance of relapse and more.
Eligible diagnoses are schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder or other specified/unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder with psychotic features, major depressive disorder with psychotic features and PTSD with dissociative symptoms.
Individuals can call the FIRST.IL agency in their service area for an assessment. If the agency determines that FIRST.IL treatment is appropriate, they will expedite an appointment with their team psychiatrist.
Give an Hour – Rare Caregivers
Give an Hour aims to create resilient communities of support for rare disease caregivers and families. Through one-on-one peer support, group support, professional training and research, Give an Hour strives to build a sustainable support system for rare caregivers.
Visit the Give an Hour Rare Caregivers website to find peer support, self-care tips, support groups and more.
Guide for New Mental Health Caregivers
Mental Health America (MHA) has created an online guide to help new mental health caregivers navigate their role. The guide includes information about getting started after a diagnosis, challenging stigma, navigating red tape, understanding challenges during recovery, knowing the role of legal caregivers, taking care of yourself and more.
For questions, please visit Mental Health America’s website.
Healing Hurt People Chicago (HHPC) is a hospital-based, youth advocacy program for violence recovery. HHPC services begin in the hospital and include crisis intervention, mental health care, medical advocacy, team support support and patient advocacy. The program also connects participants to supports and a community where they can continue to grow, thrive and break the cycle of violence once they leave the hospital.
HHPC programs and resources for individuals, families and loved ones recovering from trauma also include:
- Information about trauma and the SELF (Safety, Emotion, Loss, and Future) model
- Stories of healing
- Strategies for coping
- Resources for families
- Resources for providers
For questions, please contact HHPC at info@HealingHurtPeopleChicago.org or (312) 864-2735.
Illinois Dual Diagnosis Training Initiative
Dual diagnosis refers to experiencing an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD) along with a mental health condition. The Illinois Training Initiative to Support People with Dual-Diagnosis or Illinois Dual Diagnosis Training Initiative is a project to identify state priorities in existing services for people with dual diagnosis, develop training to promote collaboration between the IDD and mental health systems, and examine needed changes to policies and practices to promote access to services.
Illinois Dual Diagnosis Training Initiative’s website offers:
- Information on what dual diagnosis is and assessment tools
- Services available in Illinois
- Information covering the different models of care
- Personal stories of dual diagnosis
- A variety of webinars covering topics for self-advocates, professionals and caregivers
Illinois Mental Health Collaborative
The Illinois Mental Health Collaborative is a partnership devoted to the recovery and resilience of children and adults with mental illness. The collaborative is committed to making it easier for people in need of mental health services to get the right care, at the right time and in the right amount.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)’s Resiliency Toolkit is a collection of resources designed to foster safe and healthy school climates. In response to the growing mental health challenges that Illinois youth face, this toolkit offers developmentally appropriate tools to help students, parents, caregivers and school personnel build the resilience necessary to thrive.
ISBE’s Resiliency Toolkit topics include:
- Mental health
- Discrimination and harassment
- Preventing and addressing bullying
- Substance use prevention and more
For questions, please contact ISBE’s Wellness and Student Care Department at (217) 782-5270.
It Gets Better Project – LGBTQ+ Youth Local and Global Resources
The It Gets Better Project’s mission is to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth around the globe. The It Gets Better Project offers LGBTQ+ youth on- and offline resources that include events, local community service providers that can provide on-the-ground assistance and thousands of stories as told by members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies. The It Gets Better Project also provides educational materials and resources for teachers and student leaders.
Mental Health America of Illinois
Mental Health America of Illinois is a statewide organization that works to promote mental health, prevent mental disease and improve the care and treatment of those suffering from mental and emotional disorders. For more information go to www.mhai.org/.