Centerstone, a national leader in behavioral health care, through its Building Compassionate Communities (BCC) project, is sponsoring Dinovember on Thursday, November 17 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at the Carbondale Public Library, 405 West Main, Carbondale.
Join us for a Jurassic Journey! Excavate dino eggs, tinker your own terrible terrarium, and make even more cretaceous crafts!
This event can be enjoyed by all ages, but little hands may need the help of an adult.
BCC is a multi-year grant Centerstone was awarded in 2019 by the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation (ILCHF). BCC isn’t a standalone program, rather it supplements both clinical and family services programs within Centerstone and the mental health system of support in Franklin, Jackson, Perry, and Williamson counties.
“The foundation of BCC provides our regional system of support with three pillars to strengthen child and family resilience while improving access to healthcare and enhancing overall mental health: networking through collaboration, high quality professional development, and family resource developers,” said Dr. David Mills, Centerstone BCC grant coordinator.
The concept of BCC sprang from the ILCHF grant awarded to Centerstone with the overarching goal of improving the mental health of children and communities throughout Southern Illinois. BCC’s vison is to build compassionate communities by collaborating with regional partners and families to integrate services and create lasting change that directly affects children and families. Community partners in the four-county region involved with BCC include:
Children’s Medical & Mental Health Resource Network
Christopher Rural Health Planning Corporation
Franklin-Williamson Bi-County Health Department
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
Jackson County Health Department
Parent and Youth Partners
Prevent Child Abuse Illinois
Rainbow Cafe
Redeploy Illinois
Regional Office of Education 21 & School Districts Within
Regional Office of Education 30 & School Districts Within
Shawnee Health Services
Southern Illinois Coalition for Children and Families
Southern Illinois Healthcare
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Southern Illinois University System
Southern Region Early Childhood
University of Illinois Extension
“One of the driving goals of BCC is the development of a well-prepared mental health workforce. To that effect, BCC either directly provides or underwrites in collaboration with agencies in our system of support a wide range of professional development for everyone involved in juvenile mental health initiatives from clients to caregivers to caseworkers to clinicians,” said Dr. Mills.
“Additionally, Centerstone can leverage its larger community presence to help all agencies within our system of support to market professional development and networking opportunities they make available, too.”
The backbone of BCC is its Family Resource Developer (FRD) program at Centerstone. FRD’s focus on the family by doing the following at home, at school and in the community:
Delivering peer support through support groups, phone calls, or individual meetings
Providing emotional connection of people who have “been there”
Giving informational and educational support on systems and strategies
Supporting peers in developing positive ways to address their family’s day-to-day needs, as well as their own self-care needs
Helping parents arrange transportation, childcare, etc. when trying to juggle school, doctors’ appointments, sports, extra-curricular activities, budgets, groceries, and family events
FRDs and Centerstone clinical/family services resources, in concert with telehealth or at-home, office, or in-school visits, can help families, regardless of insurance source or diagnosis, with:
Mental health screenings
Mental health services for youth and family members
Juvenile justice system navigation
Special education and individualized education plan (IEP) help
Reducing stereotypes and stigma related to mental health
Preventative care
Access to care
Immediate and long-term needs for families of children impacted by mental health
Peer provided services
Support groups
Parent education groups
For more information about BCC, visit Centerstone.org, call 1-877-HOPE123 (877-467-3123) or contact Dr. Mills at David.Mills@Centerstone.org.
WHAT: Dinovember WHEN: November 17, 5:30 - 7 p.m. WHERE: Carbondale Public Library, 405 West Main, Carbondale, IL DESCRIPTION: Centerstone, a national leader in behavioral health care, through its Building Compassionate Communities (BCC) project, is sponsoring Dinovember on Thursday, November 17 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at the Carbondale Public Library, 405 West Main, Carbondale. Join us for a Jurassic Journey! Excavate dino eggs, tinker your own terrible terrarium, and make even more cretaceous crafts! This event can be enjoyed by all ages, but little hands may need the help of an adult.
Location
Carbondale Public Library 405 West Main Carbondale, IL