Illinois National Guard Reaches out to Community on Mental Health Issues

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More than 50 counseling professionals from northern Illinois and Chicago met for a military behavioral health workshop in Chicago April 20.

CHICAGO, IL (04/23/2012)(readMedia)-- The Illinois National Guard, Illinois Connections for Families of the Fallen (ICFF) and the Chicago School of Professional Psychology hosted a military behavioral health workshop in Chicago April 20.

More than 50 counseling professionals from northern Illinois and Chicago participated in the workshop.

The workshop was designed by the National Guard's Service Member and Family Support Services to educate civilian counselors on the realities of mental health issues like post-traumatic stress and survivor's guilt affecting veterans, military members and their families.

Eric Murray of Pawnee, chief of Service Member and Family Support Services for the Illinois National Guard, organized the workshop.

"This is only the second time we have put this event on, but we have received a good response from the civilian sector," said Murray. "We already have nine more events being planned in the coming months."

More than 1.9 million servicemembers, including 20,000 Illinois National Guardsmen, have been deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom and an estimated 30 percent have or will have psychological injuries.

During her lecture on military chaplain's roles and relationships, Illinois National Guard Chaplain (Capt.) Oluwatoyin Hines of Chicago discussed the role military chaplains and mental health providers both share in the healing process.

"Ministry of Presence is a significant part of what we do as chaplains. It is about prevention, intervention, and follow-up," said Hines, who is with the 108th Special Troop Battalion in Chicago. "Post traumatic stress, substance abuse, suicidal ideation – anything you can think of on the civilian side can happen to a servicemember. This is why you (as mental health providers) are so important to the process."