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The Village of La Grange Park wants to do something about the stress and anxiety brought on by everyday life, stress that has been magnified by the pandemic.
So it will partner with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to bring a series of online Community Wellness Virtual programs to address various issues related to mental health.
“Mental health and wellness is something that has always been on our minds here at the Village, especially since the start of the pandemic,” Sandy Bakalich, Deputy Village Clerk, said recently.
The initial virtual wellness programs will run for four months, beginning Monday, Feb. 28, with hopes of continuing the viewings in the future.
The first, Mental Health 101, will center on how to recognize the warning signs of mental illness, how to deal with he stigma attached to the problem, and how to distinguish between stress and anxiety. That first wellness program will also touch on the topic of suicide, discussing warning signs and methods of prevention.
Raising awareness of suicide prevention is also something the La Grange Park Fire Department is concerned with, as a recent email to the community from Fire Chief Dean Maggos noted with the concise message, Life is hard right now, and it’s OK to admit that, but don’t give up.
The email also included the number to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline — 800-273-8255.
The second program, Empathetic/Active Listening, will run March 21 and focus in various listening techniques, including keys to being an active, empathetic listener.
March’s program will also educate the viewer about the benefits of kinesics (body movement in nonverbal communication), proxemics (proper body spacing in communication), and haptics (the study of touching in nonverbal communication).
The April 16 program will deal with stress — how to identify causes, reduce stress, and practice mindfulness.
May 16 will focus on burnout and its symptoms, causes, risk factors, and consequences.
All programs will run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
NAMI dates back to 1979, when mental health experts from 29 states and Canada met in Wisconsin and incorporated into the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Its website notes that the group’s mission is to “provide advocacy, education, support, and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.
Today, NAMI provides education and support programs for people and families affected by mental health issues, which can be found on the organization’s website, nami.org
Indeed, the abundance of programming from NAMI is something that caught the eye of La Grange Park officials.
“They have all these programs they pout out and they’re free,” Bakalich said, urging those interested to visit the NAMI website for ore information.
Bakalich said that the recent Omicron variant was a definite setback in a fight against the COVID-19 virus that appeared to be seeing light at the end of the tunnel.
“We were over the hump and then we had this surge in December,” she said of the new variant. “That knocked the wind out of our sails and was definitely a catalyst for these new programs we are offering.”
Bakalich noted that the added stress of the pandemic was felt in areas of life as varied as relationships, school, and personal finances.
“It seems everyone knows someone affected,” she said. “Everything seems a little more complicated.”
Assistant Village Manager Maggie Jarr agreed, noting that many were already dealing with a full plate before the pandemic hit.
“There was already a level of stress and anxiety in everyone’s life,” she said. “The pandemic has brought an increase to that anxiety.”
Jarr also urged people to take advantage of the resources available through NAMI.
“This is a great partnership we have with them, and we certainly want to provide these programs in the future,” she said. “This is very exciting for us.”
Those interested in La Grange Park Community Wellness programs — from any area — can visit the Village’s website for more information on how to access the programs online.
lagrangepark.org
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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