The Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce that as of Wednesday, August 29, 2018, we have partnered with NAMI Sauk Area (National Alliance on Mental Illness). NAMI Sauk Area advocates for access to services, treatment, support, and research. The organization is steadfast in its commitment to raising awareness and building a community of hope for all of those in need. This is a sentiment shared by the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office.
Together, we will bring awareness to the mental illness epidemic, that so many unfortunately live with within our community. More importantly, with this collaboration we can provide for those individuals, as well as their families and caregivers, the programs and resources they so desperately need.
Some programs we plan to make available in our area are the Family-to-Family and Family Support Groups, which are designed for families and caregivers of loved ones living with mental illness. In the very near future, we will be looking into our own Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and have begun talks regarding the 40 hour training course here in Whiteside County.
In late September/early October, NAMI Sauk Area and the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office will put on a presentation, “In Our Own Voice.” This program is presented by two individuals with a mental illness and achieving recovery.
Also, Tracy Brooks of the NAMI Sauk Area will speak in regards to their programs and what we can accomplish together for individuals living with mental illness. NAMI brings years of experience in addressing mental illness issues. It is our collective objective that we can end the stigma associated with these illnesses.