91国产自拍 is proud to be recognized as a 2026 Silver recipient of the Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health by Mental Health America 鈥� the nation鈥檚 leading recognition for employers committed to creating mentally healthy workplaces.

This marks another year that 91国产自拍 has been honored with the Bell Seal, reflecting our continued investment in building a workplace culture where employees feel supported, valued, and able to thrive.

The Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health is a national certification awarded to organizations that demonstrate excellence in supporting employee mental health and well-being. Employers are evaluated on workplace policies, benefits, culture, and wellness initiatives. At 91国产自拍, this commitment is deeply connected to our mission. As one of Illinois鈥� largest providers of mental health and substance use recovery services, we know that creating a culture of wellness must begin within our own organization. Receiving the Bell Seal affirms our ongoing efforts to foster a workplace where employees feel respected, supported, and empowered to ask for help when they need it.

91国产自拍 employs more than 1,400 staff across a wide range of roles, all united by a shared commitment to supporting recovery and resilience in our communities. We are proud to offer a workplace that prioritizes well-being through:

• Comprehensive benefits and generous paid time off
• Access to employee assistance programs
• Ongoing training and professional development
• Clinical supervision and career growth opportunities
• A culture that values lived experience and inclusion

These efforts help ensure that our staff are not only equipped to do their work鈥攂ut supported as whole people.

As a Bell Seal recipient, 91国产自拍 joins a select group of organizations across the country working to create psychologically safe, supportive environments for their teams. 鈥淐reating a culture of mental wellness starts from within,鈥� said President and CEO Mark Ishaug. 鈥淲e are honored to be recognized among national leaders in workplace mental health and proud to set an example for what a supportive, equitable workplace can be.鈥�

While we are proud of this recognition, our work does not stop here. We remain committed to continuously strengthening our workplace culture, listening to our staff, and advancing practices that support mental health and well-being. Because when our employees are supported, they are better able to support the thousands of individuals and families who rely on 91国产自拍 every day.

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There are some evenings that stay with you鈥攁nd , was one of them.

More than 550 supporters came together in a powerful show of generosity and shared purpose, filling the room with energy, compassion, and a collective belief in what鈥檚 possible. It was a night to celebrate community鈥攁nd to shine a light on the life-changing work happening every day across 91国产自拍.

At the heart of the evening was a tribute to our Crisis Response teams. These dedicated professionals provide immediate, compassionate care to individuals experiencing mental health emergencies鈥攎eeting people where they are, helping them stabilize, and connecting them to the support they need to move forward. Their work is urgent, human, and deeply impactful.

Together, we raised an incredible $1.27 million to advance 91国产自拍鈥� mission of delivering life-changing services for people living with mental health and substance use conditions. This support moves us closer to a future where care is more accessible, more equitable, and available when it鈥檚 needed most.

We are deeply grateful to our Presenting Sponsor, Fifth Third Bank, along with the many generous sponsors who made the evening possible. Our heartfelt thanks also go to our Gala Committee hosts and co-chairs, Frank Haywood and Sharon Neal, and committee members Judy Ashworth, Keith Douglas, Megan Greer, Johna Hedden, Sue Roberts, and Minal Varma. Their leadership and commitment helped bring this special evening to life.

A special thank you to our keynote speaker, Christine Yu Moutier, whose honesty and advocacy left a lasting impression. Her voice continues to shape the national conversation around mental health鈥攁nd underscores the urgency of this work.

We were also proud to honor the remarkable contributions of the James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Sasha-Ann Simons, and Darrious Hilmon. Their leadership and generosity reflect the profound impact individuals and partners can make in advancing mental health and recovery.

What happened that night reaches far beyond a single room. It supports our clients, strengthens our staff, and builds a foundation for lasting hope in the communities we serve.

We are honored to continue this work鈥攖ogether.

Explore more from the evening:

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For the 11^th听year in a row,听91国产自拍 has been named a听. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through an anonymous third-party survey. Tying our highest ranking ever, 91国产自拍 is #6 among 26 large company winners, and the only nonprofit in that category.

“Being on this list speaks to the compassionate, caring culture that our staff create here at 91国产自拍, said 91国产自拍 President and CEO Mark Ishaug. “And it is a testament to the commitment to our clients and our mission.”

91国产自拍 employs more than 1,300 staff in Chicago and the surrounding counties in a diverse set of roles ranging from finance and administration to front line clinical social workers who provide case management and other services for people living with serious mental illnesses and substance use conditions.

鈥淓arning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,鈥� said Eric Rubino, CEO. 鈥淭hat’s something to be proud of. In today’s market, leaders must ensure they鈥檙e allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That’s paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.鈥�

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We write you today with deep sorrow, anger, and heartbreak over the tragic death of Sonya Massey. Sonya was a Black woman in clear mental health distress who called law enforcement for help, only to be fatally shot by one of the officers听entrusted to assist her. Our hearts break for Ms. Massey, her family, and for every person experiencing the entrenched scourge of racial discrimination in our society.听 Our hearts break for those experiencing mental health crises who fear how they will be treated in times of need.听听

It is an undeniable injustice that Black people in crisis are killed by police at a disproportionate rate when they call 911, compared to their white counterparts. We cannot allow this to continue.听

As an organization that understands clinical intervention, we know what investments are needed because we advocate for it every day: Preventive care; equity between mental health care and other healthcare; street outreach to those experiencing homelessness or substance use conditions to enable a pathway into supportive services; safe, affordable housing; harm reduction services; integrated behavioral health and medical care; readily available crisis care by mental health professionals; and a strong 988 mental health crisis response system for people calling for help, like Sonya Massey.听听听

Our determination, hope, and fierce commitment are the driving force in our life-long fight for racial equity, and for building the right societal investments to support the mental health needs of everyone in crisis and long before a crisis happens, particularly in Black communities where divestment has been the norm for generations.听听

We also know that effective crisis response requires collaboration. Our Crisis Intervention Team training prepares law enforcement officers to de-escalate situations and connect individuals in crisis with the support they need. Law enforcement plays a crucial role to aid our members and 91国产自拍 is a proud partner with that agency. However, we must 鈥� we absolutely must 鈥� continue to address the deep, corrosive discrimination within a small fraction of the law enforcement personnel that are harmful to our communities.听

We will not rest, and we will not stop fighting for what is right, fair, and humane.听 Together, we can make a difference.听听

听

听

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With the need for treatment at an all-time high, 91国产自拍 applauds Governor Pritzker for committing to an additional $140 million to meet the behavioral health needs of communities across Illinois in his proposed budget today, as well as $40 million for innovation. We stand with Governor Pritzker, as we do with House Majority Leader Greg Harris and Senator Elgie Sims, who are championing increased investment in mental health and substance use treatment in the General Assembly.

We are also extremely encouraged that the Governor committed to appointing a Chief Behavioral Health Officer to work with the multiple state agencies and stakeholders to develop a vision for growing access to treatment in every corner of our state and working to implement that vision. It is more important now than ever to get ahead of the state鈥檚 growing mental health and overdose crises. Thank you to Rep. Deb Conroy and Senators Laura Fine and Sara Feigenholtz for your determination to establish this position.

Mental health and substance use treatment has been out of reach for hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, with just 23% of the state鈥檚 residents who need services able to access care.

The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the mental health of every age group and community in Illinois, with the rates听of psychological distress and drug overdose skyrocketing since 2020. The number of adults experiencing anxiety or depression has more than doubled during the pandemic, and overdose deaths spiked 33% during 2020, killing 2,944 Illinoisans.

Yet treatment remains out of reach for most because providers are not able to hire and retain staff to meet community needs with existing state funding, exacerbating the crisis. In fact, over 4.8 million people in Illinois live in a community that does NOT have sufficient mental health professionals.

We are grateful for the leadership of the Governor, Leader Harris, and Sen. Sims for their commitment to tackle this crisis head on and invest in the people of Illinois who need mental health and substance use services. 91国产自拍 is and will remain a strong partner with the Pritzker Administration, the General Assembly, and advocates across the state through the Rebuild Illinois Behavioral Health Workforce Coalition to ensure these investments are solidified in the final state budget.

鈥淎s one of oldest and largest providers of mental health and substance use treatment services in Illinois, we know that recovery for our clients is possible with the right public sector investment,鈥� said Mark Ishaug, 91国产自拍 CEO. 鈥淚n turn, investing in these services is also an investment in better health in our communities.鈥�

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For Mental Illness Awareness Week, we are highlighting members of 91国产自拍鈥� Peer Success program. In this program, staff who are in mental health recovery provide services and outreach to 91国产自拍 members. Their first-hand experience with the same struggles our members are going through helps them build stronger social bonds and offer more effective service to our clients. This story is from Jerry, a long-time member of the Peer Success team.

I have been in relatively successful dual recovery (recovery from a simultaneous mental illness and substance use disorder) for 18 years. Before that, I lived with untreated Bipolar Disorder and a substance use disorder, and was increasingly unable to live a full life.

I received some tough love from my best friend Michele. She convinced me to visit an emergency room and ask for help, despite my lack of health insurance. At Chicago Read, I began taking medication for the first time, attended therapy groups, and started learning about recovery. My depression began to improve, and I realized that sobriety was necessary to really recover. I have been sober ever since, with no relapses.

Upon discharge, I was referred to a pair of residential programs located at Lawson House YMCA. I spent 6 years living there. At first, I had no idea what to do with my new life in dual recovery. The mental health care workers I had interacted with, however, gave me the idea to start doing this kind of work myself.

I enrolled in a Psych Rehab Certificate Program (PRCP) at Wright College, and wound up meeting with Lena, a 91国产自拍 staff member who was volunteering with the PRCP course. Lena told me of her dream of opening a drop-in center for people in recovery from mental illness and substance disorders. She said if the idea got off the ground, she would hire me as her dual recovery specialist. I was flattered and filed that thought away.

Sure enough, a year and a half later Lena called to report that her dream was a reality. Lena asked if I would still come work for her and I agreed. Still in school, I began working 13 hours a week when the 91国产自拍 Peer Success opened on Dec. 2, 2004, and after five years became a full-time employee. I have been working for Lena ever since, first with the 91国产自拍 Peer Success program and then at New Freedom Center Central.

I am still occasionally troubled with depressive symptoms, but I now have good coping skills and a job that surrounds me with recovery 5 days a week. I had some great times during my addictions and periods of untreated mania, but my 18 years of illness management and sobriety are by far the best years of my life.

I am 71 years old and I could retire tomorrow but I am not yet ready. After so many years without treatment, I feel I owe it to myself and to the universe to be productive for as long as possible and help as many of my peers as I can.

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Christine has been with 91国产自拍鈥檚 Peer Success program for the last 7 years. She values hard work, acceptance of others, unconditional kindness and the ability to be who she truly is without judgment.

Growing up, Christine struggled to find acceptance for who she truly is from friends and family and others she encountered on a day-to-day basis. When she began to grow into the understanding that she identified with a gender she was not assigned at birth, she received backlash from family, friends and caseworkers at other agencies. This judgment and feelings of isolation added to the depression she was grappling with. Since walking through 91国产自拍鈥檚 doors over forty years ago as a young adult, Christine has found a home.

听鈥淚 love the staff here, as they are all in recovery like myself and they treat me as an equal. These people here are like another family to me. No matter what people are going through, nobody has to put them down, talk about them because we all go through things in life鈥f you give them a good uplifting — that lets them know that there is somebody out there that loves them, cares for them and wants them to get better and want them to have a better way of life.鈥�

The strong community within 91国产自拍 and at the Empowerment Center helps Christine to express how she truly feels about herself and her growth as a transgender woman. She says that she enjoys the community that 91国产自拍 provides her, one in which she feels comfortable with who she is and accepted by everyone around her.

鈥淚 have never been treated different of my gender. A lot of people here have given me encouragement here. A lot of people would put me down about the way I dress, but coming here they respect me and treat me as a human being. That鈥檚 why I like coming here.鈥�

91国产自拍 has helped Christine in many ways including finding apartments that she loves, feel safe in and can call a home.

鈥�91国产自拍 is a good agency because they look at what the individual needs and they try to accommodate those need especially when getting an apartment for that individual. They make sure you鈥檙e in a safe environment.鈥�

She also likes how she continually learns from staff, her peers and the groups she attends within 91国产自拍. As a Peer Success team member, Christine gives back to her 91国产自拍 peers by imparting what she鈥檚 learned from her experiences and various other programs that helped her when she was battling addiction.

For those struggling and looking for acceptance in the same way she was before finding 91国产自拍, Christine offers this insight:

鈥淭he way I鈥檓 treated here is like, everybody understands me and they feel like they鈥檙e not better than me. We all have our struggles. We all have different avenues to get through. Don鈥檛 let nothing stop you from what you want to accomplish.鈥�

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When asked where he was before 91国产自拍, Andre gives an honest and insightful response.

鈥淲here was I? I was drinking every day. I was using street drugs. I was hearing voices. I was living basically from door to door. I had no source of income. I couldn鈥檛 find a job.鈥�

Andre’s 鈥渄ay to day survival鈥� included bathing in the park district and taking the small amount of money he made to get a hotel room every once in a while for rest and a warm shower. Eventually, Andre was put in the Cook County jail for drinking in the park and was moved from the general population to the medical wing. He was put on more medication for his schizophrenia, and released with the phone number to an organization that would help him 鈥� 91国产自拍.

Andre enrolled in groups 7 days a week through 91国产自拍 as a way to help him stay off the streets. He explains why it was so hard to resist drinking when spending nights out in parks and on the street, and how going to groups at 91国产自拍 helped him develop essential coping skills.

鈥淲hen you鈥檙e on the streets, you just want to drink鈥hen you鈥檙e schizophrenic, it鈥檚 hard being out at night because you鈥檙e already hearing voices. You鈥檙e already imagining the worse. It was hard, so I just stuck to the programs and just tried to stay away from the negative homeless people.鈥�

For approximately two years, Andre went to 91国产自拍 groups on a near-daily basis. He was linked up with a psychiatrist at 91国产自拍, his first psychiatrist ever. Before that, he would have to wait in line at Cook County Jail to get his medication, and sometimes wouldn鈥檛 get every medication he needed. He also got his Medicaid card.

鈥淧lay ping pong or pool, hang out 鈥榯il 5 in the evening, watch television. It was a place off the streets. It was like a safe haven. I just kept playing and doing the groups. Eventually things get better.鈥�

Jerry, his caseworker in 91国产自拍’s Peer Success听program, aided Andre in getting his very first apartment. When asked how it felt having the keys to his first apartment in his hand, Andrew laughed and a huge smile showed on his face.

鈥淚t felt so good being off the streets and having a roof over my head. A balcony. I had a friend there and lived there for six years.鈥�

Andre has now been sober for over ten years and continues his work with our Peer Success team.

鈥淚鈥檝e been doing well no interruptions, no problems with my housing programs. No problems with the law. I鈥檓 doing good. And I have two pets and I really don鈥檛 drink or use drugs anymore鈥his is the best I鈥檝e done in my entire life. Just living life one day at a time.鈥�

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Chicago, IL 鈥� We are thrilled that Governor JB Pritzker signed the Children & Young Adult Mental Health Crisis Act into law on Friday, August 23rd. The legislation, championed by Representative Sara Feigenholtz and Senator Heather Steans, took aim at many of the deficiencies in mental health services for youth across Illinois. 91国产自拍 played a key role in advocating for the bill.

Illinois will be the first state in the country to require private insurance coverage of treatment approaches that involve a multi-disciplinary team of mental health professionals to enable early recovery for psychosis, bipolar disorder, and other serious mental health conditions for children and young adults under the age of 26. These approaches historically have only been offered through public programs, but are proven through clinical research as some of the best-practice treatment models available to prevent future disability.

The legislation also makes it easier for a child with Medicaid coverage who is experiencing a mental health issue but who does not have a full-blown diagnosis of a mental health condition to get treatment. This is important for youth who may have experienced violence, trauma, or other circumstance that created a need for counseling or other mental health services but did not lead to a clinical diagnosis.

The bill also tackles a state-funded program, the Family Support Program, for children with serious mental health conditions. The legislation expands and streamlines eligibility, strengthens the services covered by the program, and improves the lines of communication about the program between in-patient psychiatric hospital units and families.

鈥淓arly treatment of mental health conditions in children and young people in their 20s is absolutely crucial for strong brain development and ensuring success in school, work, and life. We must tackle the barriers that get in the way of access to mental health treatment in our state head-on, and this bill takes a major step in that direction,鈥� says State Representative Sara Feigenholtz. 鈥淭he bill does that by requiring insurance companies to do what they should be doing, while also leveraging federal funding for public programs.鈥�

The Children & Young Adult Mental Health Crisis Act, , was developed by the Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives Coalition. The coalition includes mental health and substance use treatment providers and individual and family advocates across Illinois.

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Today is a statewide day of action and we need your help to grow access to mental health services!

Thousands of Illinoisans living with mental health conditions are unable to get the care they need to live well and thrive. The lack of access is tied to inadequate reimbursement rates for services. Current rates fail to cover the cost of care, preventing providers from being able to grow capacity and expand access to treatment.

Call your Illinois state representative and senator today!

• Talking point: 鈥淧lease include in the budget the phased-in rate increases to community mental health reimbursement rates, as outlined in HB2486 and SB1673!鈥�

How to make your voice heard:

1. Click to enter your address.
2. Click the 鈥淚llinois鈥� tab to find your STATE rep and senator.
3. Call your state rep and senator; and ask them to support including mental health rate increases as outlined in HB2486 and SB1673 as part of the budget.

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