April 18, 2019

VNA Health Care (VNA) and The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Kane-south, DeKalb, and Kendall Counties  (NAMI-KDK) announce a partnership to offer two free, monthly programs for adults living with a mental health diagnosis.

“We are excited to partner with VNA Health Care and to be able to provide volunteers to lead these important programs,” said Carol Speckman, Executive Director at NAMI KDK. “People living with mental health conditions can and do succeed in their careers, make friends and have relationships. Our programs are designed to provide support to those individuals who are following a treatment plan and working to overcome the many challenges of living with a mental health condition.”

“Both programs will meet at VNA Health Care,” said Linnea Windel, President/CEO at VNA. “The programs are a great resource for the patients we serve, and we have the capacity to allow programming to expand as demand increases.”

The Connections Recovery Support Group will connect, encourage, and support adults living with a mental health condition using a structured support group model led by trained facilitators living in recovery themselves. The Connections group meets on the second Wednesday of the month from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

The Friendship Circle provides adults 18 and older including those living with mental health conditions and their families a safe, stigma free place to make connections with others through a variety of recreational activities. Friendship Circle meets on the second Tuesday of the month from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Both programs are free of charge and meet at VNA, 400 N. Highland Avenue, Aurora. For more information, contact Colleen Balija at NAMI KDK at 630.896.6264 or programs@namikdk.org.

About VNA Health Care:  VNA Health Care operates 14 clinics in suburban Chicago and serves over 72,000 people a year. VNA is nationally ranked as a top performing health center as a result of patient outcomes such as prenatal care, adolescent weight screening and counseling, vascular disease treatment, blood pressure control, healthy birth weights, and asthma care. VNA’s combination of convenience (by appointment or walk-in), patient-centered technology and expert care delivered with respect and compassion have led to these results. VNA is accredited by The Joint Commission.

About NAMI-KDK:  The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Kane-south, DeKalb, and Kendall Counties (NAMI-KDK)  is a grass roots organization whose purpose is to improve conditions for people with serious and chronic mental illness and their families.  Membership consists of family members and dedicated individuals who endeavor to promote the welfare of individuals living with mental illness and to support and educate their families. NAMI assists people in finding appropriate help for their needs, provides education classes and support groups for the families, seeks and promotes public education to reduce and eliminate discrimination and stigma, promotes awareness of and involvement in pertinent legislation at all levels of Government, plus creates and provides reference literature on area services and different mental illnesses. For more information, please visit www.namikdk.org.