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Pillars has been successful at developing proactive, consumer and family driven programming in response to community/client needs, developing a comprehensive network of formal community partnerships, securing highly competitive grant funding for program implementation, and sustaining innovative programming.
Examples of our innovative and sustainable programs include:
Community Wrap Around Initiative – offer child and family partipation and voice, collaborative family teams, and facilitation are embedded within our services to all children and families. The program continues to be sustained through private resources.
Bridges — offers intensive home-based case management and therapeutic services based on the principles of Wraparound for young people and their families who are struggling to access more traditional services.
Domestic Violence/Addictions programs - offers integrated, comprehensive domestic violence/addictions programs to holistically address the needs of DV survivors and their families. 24-hour Crisis Line: 708-485-5254
Buddy's Place—a bereavement program for children who have experienced the death of a parent, guardian, or significant adult.
Safe Schools/Healthy Students— a highly-competitive, federally-funded initiative that brought a new aspect to our treatment philosophy, which is a full recognition that a family with multiple issues must be first assured of their basic needs before engagement in therapy. The program continues to be sustained through private resources and school district budget resources, evidencing the success of its efforts.
Adult Wrap— offers services for older adults modeled on the principles of the children's wraparound, tailored to the needs of the older adult population.
WIN/CHIP (Wellness Initiative Network/Cook Housing Initiative Partnership)— The Wellness Initiative Network (WIN) seeks to steer persons, homeless with medical and mental illnesses, to available help by intervening on site at community-based shelters. WIN was expanded in 2005 with a grant from HUD directly to Pillars (then Community Care Options) of $1,526,542 to the five agencies in the West Cook Housing Initiative Partnership (WCHIP), which strives to assist clients to move towards permanent housing by first providing supportive scattered site housing units. These clients are the medically and mentally ill homeless—statistics from shelters indicate that at least 25% of the homeless population has a mental illness.
Caregiver Connections - a free support program through the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation project of the Illinois Department of Human Services in collaboration with Pillars, which helps child care providers recognize, understand and respond to the social emotional needs of the children, birth through age five, in their care. For more information, please check out www.caregiverconnections.org.
Pillars values Evidence Based Practices (EBP) and was selected to participate in the following:
Parent Training for School Age Children: An Evidence Based Practice Initiative through DHS, Division of Mental Health Child and Adolescent Service System. Pillars was recently funded (September 2006) to implement an evidence-based Behavioral Parent Training for School Age Children model through two dedicated Therapists/Case Managers working with children and families. One of the main reasons for our selection is that many of our clients are children and their families with complex and multiple needs.
Evidence-Base Supported Employment Demonstration Project (EBSE). Through its Foxfire Day Treatment Program (Foxfire), where consumers learn about their mental illnesses and develop skills necessary for independent living, Pillars was funded in September of 2006 through the State of Illinois Targeted Selection for Service Provision (TSSP). This three year pilot will provide evidence-based supported employment services to consumers.
SPARCS (Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress). SPARCS is a pilot project through The Department of Children and Family Services, in partnership with Kaleidoscope 4 Kids. SPARCS is one of the EBP models chosen by DCFS to pilot at multiple sites throughout the state. It is especially designed for working with adolescents with a history of trauma. Pillars has one staff member implementing SPARCS, but has trained 4 staff, including 2 supervisors.
FAST (Families and Schools Together), a SAMHSA model program. Funded through the Community Memorial Foundation, a private foundation that funds the west suburban communities of Cook County, FAST began in the Fall of 2003. Pillars (then Community Care Options) was asked to be a lead collaborative partner in the implementation of the program. Pillars currently has 12 staff participating in FAST. Three staff are certified trainers, including at least 1 supervisor. The agency has committed to the community our continuing utilization of the FAST model because it is a program with proven results.
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