Habilitative Systems Inc. (HSI) has been granted $888,135 by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), Division of Mental Health (DMH) to help vulnerable populations in Berwyn, Cicero, Stickney, and the Austin community recover from the historic floods that devastated communities this past summer.
Heavy storms and record rainfall in July left thousands of Chicago area residents with flooded basements, destroyed possessions and mounting costs for repair. President Biden declared Cook County a disaster area, thereby releasing federal resources. IDHS and other Illinois agencies have also been working hard to assist the communities to reach pre-flood status, particularly the most vulnerable elderly, youth, unemployed, and disabled populations.
“Flooding impacts the lives of everyone in its path, but it is most devastating to our most vulnerable populations who can’t write a check to make the devastation go away,” said Donald Dew, CEO of Habilitative Services Inc. “HSI is proud to have the trust of IDHS-DMH and are eager to put HSI’s considerable reach and capacity to the task of helping people recover. We will work in partnership with community-based organizations and clergy to maximize our impact.”
HSI will provide individual and group counseling as well as community outreach utilizing social media, fliers, direct mail, and other ways to educate Cook County residents about the Crisis Counseling Program efforts and resources available to them.
The Crisis Counseling Program services will provide referrals to local resources who can assist with food, transportation, housing, mental and behavioral health counseling and more. The HSI Crisis Counseling Program teams will use surveys developed by FEMA to collect data which will provide information regarding the specific needs of people in the coverage area.
The grant funds 8 full-time crisis counselors, a full-time team leader, and a full-time data entry specialist.
About Habilitative Systems, Inc.
For 45 years, Habilitative Systems, Inc., a Historically Black community-based organization, has provided quality behavioral health and human services to individuals and families in 15 underserved communities throughout the Chicago Metropolitan area. HSI staff respond to the most pressing needs of society, serving persons with mental illness, disabilities, substance use disorders as well as seniors, and children experiencing prolonged trauma.
