#ElginCares is new tool to check in on well-being
An Elgin group has created a bilingual tool that can help people monitor their well-being, as experts agree the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected mental health and increased the risk for substance abuse and domestic violence.
The Elgin Human Services Council, a coalition of more than 20 social service agencies, in partnership with faith, cultural and civic institutions, has launched the tool called #ElginCares in English and Spanish.
People can use it for themselves or to check in with their families, friends and neighbors, said Steve Hosik Moon, Elgin program officer for Grand Victoria Foundation.
The 10-part #ElginCares checklist starts with a calming breathing exercise, followed by a body scan with a list of activities that can make people feel better, and a check-in regarding emotions and priorities. It then asks people to examine their relationships, with questions such as, "Does your partner control where you go, who you talk to, or isolate you from people or activities?" and examine their substance use, with questions such as, "Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking or drug use?"
For anyone who responds "yes," there is a list of confidential resources via phone and text.
The campaign is on social media at facebook.com/ElginCares. The plan is to have a printed version that local agencies can distribute to clients, and eventually a dedicated website with links to resources, said Bernadette May, executive director of Family Service Association of Greater Elgin, a member of the council.
The council includes more than 20 nonprofits, such as Boys & Girls Club of Elgin, Ecker Center for Behavioral Health (which became official July 1 after the merger of Ecker Center for Mental Health and Renz Addiction Counseling Center), Senior Services Associates, YWCA Elgin and more.
Family Service Association primarily serves young people and has seen a drop those reaching out for services, likely because most referrals traditionally come from schools that have been closed for months, May said. However, those who reach out are in greater need, she said.
"We see a lot of conflict in the home that even escalates to the point of physical altercations," she said. "There are struggles with just maintaining any type of routine (for young people), and if they are already prone to mental health issues, that makes it worse."
On a positive note, the conversation about mental health is more open because so many people suffer from anxiety and depression from isolation, she said. "People seem to be more willing to talk about, right now, how they feel."
The Elgin Human Services Council was formed in 2016, after Grand Victoria Foundation invited its human services grantees to participate in a forum to discuss how to work collaboratively in the face of diminishing private and public funding sources.