SPRINGFIELD – A new statewide program, Circle of Care has been established in Illinois by the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery, in partnership with the Illinois Family Resource Center and Hour House. This new program will support children, youth, and families who have experienced grief and loss associated with substance use related death and disorders.
In one year, our team will create a trauma-informed and culturally responsive framework for grief support services for children and teens that are affected by substance use disorder. The goal of our project is to develop trained helpers throughout Illinois to meet the emotional needs of youth that are at high risk of substance use disorder due to adverse childhood events, experiences of homelessness or being housing unstable, current school attendance issues, grief from living with substance use in their household, and for those who have lost a loved one to overdose.
Throughout our project, we will thoroughly identify existing current grief support services available in the state of Illinois and at the national level and provide free grief and substance use disorder trainings to those throughout the State who naturally interact with these children through the course of their work, service, and volunteer efforts. We will provide comfort bags for community stakeholders and natural helpers to use in their work with those effected. Additionally, we will engage school communities and local law enforcement in implementing the Handle with Care Initiative, a program that supports children exposed to trauma and violence through simple communication between school systems and local law enforcement.
I invite you or your organization to join us as a part of the statewide efforts to build a Circle of Care. If you have any questions or linkages to individuals who would be interested in learning about the Circle of Care program, please reach out to Ambrosia Branson at ambrosiab@hourhouserecovery.org or 217-258-2968.
