Editor’s note: The following was included in a recent newsletter by The Josselyn Center in Northfield. It is being republished here with permission.
The timing of the opening of The Josselyn Center’s second location, in Waukegan, coincided with the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. This site opened in early March 2020, and by mid-March, Illinois was under a shelter-in-place order by the governor.
The pandemic created challenges not only for the timeline of the Waukegan location, but for our staff, clients, and community. Take a look below.
Fast forward 14 months… our Waukegan site is surpassing even our wildest expectations. Take a look:
In addition, we have rented additional space to accommodate the enormous demand for our services, and we have hired a full-time child and adolescent psychiatrist to provide medical treatment to our Lake County clients. While opening a mental health clinic two weeks before the shelter-in-place order appeared to be bad timing a year ago, in retrospect, the timing could not have been more opportune.
Looking forward, The Josselyn Center is fully committed to strengthening both our Waukegan and Northfield locations and to provide the highest quality mental health care to all. Now, more Lake County residents have access to holistic, coordinated mental monitoring, supported employment, case management (connecting clients to other community supports), and art and movement therapy.
Physical space is equally important, which is why our clinical offices overlook beautiful Washington Park. We are within a block of the Waukegan Library, courthouse and police and four blocks from the Metro Waukegan stop, and we are on several bus lines so that we are accessible. Accessibility also means affordability; as a Medicaid and mostly private insurance provider, we also offer a sliding fee scale based on income eligibility.
We have been warmly welcomed into the community by other nonprofits. We have entered into a care coordination with Northwestern Medicine (Lake Forest and Grayslake) to coordinate care for their Emergency Room patients needing outpatient mental health services, as well as structured partnerships with the Waukegan Public Library and College of Lake County. Josselyn has also joined the Lake County Alliance for Human Services and the Lake County Behavioral Action Team.
We could not have done this without the vision and financial support of our Lake County partners, and we extend our sincere thanks for their belief in our abilities.
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Susan Resko
The Josselyn Center
