What is the Outpatient Mental Health Services program?
The purpose of this program is to prevent and treat chronic/severe emotional and psychiatric disorders. It is the belief of the Health Department and Community Health Center that quality mental health care is a necessary part of total health care and should be readily accessible to all Lake County residents. Family involvement with treatment, when clinically helpful to a client’s progress, is encouraged.
Services in this program include diagnostic evaluation, psychiatric assessment, and crisis intervention to adults who have a history of chronic mental illness. Clients who receive our psychiatric medication services may also qualify for individual and/or group psychotherapy, depending on the type of funding the client has.
Who is eligible?
To participate in the program, a client must meet the following criteria:
• Be at least 18 years old
• Lake County resident
• Have a history of treatment for a chronic mental illness, or be experiencing first-time severe symptoms of a major mental illness
• Be capable and willing to participate with all treatment recommendations
• Be able to keep appointments at one of our two locations
Who is not eligible?
Our program is funded to treat chronic mental illness, and the following exclusions apply, as we are not funded for the populations or services below:
• Developmental disability, (those who have moderate or severe mental retardation)
• Sex offender treatment must have been previously successfully completed at a specialized sex offender treatment center, backed up by documentation, in order to receive psychiatric medication service
• Residents of nursing homes or any other 24-hour residential treatment program
• Those requesting only psychological testing
• Those wanting only evaluations for other agencies, such as DCFS, Social Security, lawyers, etc. (The only evaluations we perform are of clients who are ordered by the Lake County Courts to evaluate the need for treatment.)
• Those in need of a higher level of care than outpatient services, such as needing emergency psychiatric hospitalization due to potential for harmful behavior
What is the cost?
Fees for outpatient mental health services are partially covered by Medicaid, Medicare, or insurance, and a sliding fee scale will be used based on individual circumstances. Services are not free. If you are uninsured, you will be assessed a $5 co-pay fee for each psychiatric visit. Payment of your portion of the fee is due at the time of service.
Several support/therapy groups are held at our two Outpatient Mental Health offices, including:
Waukegan groups:
Coping skills group - This group will help you develop skill-building and awareness of need for self care skills, such as assertiveness, limit and boundary setting and improving self esteem.
DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) group – You must be involved in individual therapy at our clinic to be in this group. The group uses instructional lecture, group discussion, behavioral rehearsal with modeling and role-play, written handouts, and homework assignments to help you decrease unmanageability in your life. Mindfulness skills are central to this group.
Depression/Anxiety group for Spanish speakers – This group is conducted only in Spanish, and it focuses on the problems, losses and changes that lead clients to become depressed/anxious, including but not limited to isolation, financial struggles, medical concerns, past trauma, relationship difficulties, and acculturation.
Dual diagnosis group - The central task of this group is to help clients learn more about the interaction between addiction and mental illness, and to help them increase stability in adult functioning through the establishment of sustained sobriety and continued recovery from mental illness. You must be receiving services from at least one of our Behavioral Service programs to be in this group
Round Lake Park groups:
Depression/Anxiety group(s) for Spanish speakers – These groups are conducted only in Spanish, and they focus on the problems, losses and changes that lead clients to become depressed/anxious, including but not limited to isolation, financial struggles, medical concerns, past trauma, relationship difficulties, and acculturation.
Mind, Body & Spirit women’s group – A group for women who are living with a serious and persistent mental illness; learning new coping skills while providing support to other women.
Healthy Minds/Healthy Bodies group – A group for men and women who suffer from medical illnesses and who need emotional support/skills to manage their medical illnesses better.
Developing Healthier Relationships – The primary focus of this group is on setting boundaries in relationships and on improving self-care. Interpersonal dynamics between group members are processed to help improve skills in relating to others.
Socialization Group – The primary focus of this group is on learning social skills and developing healthy ways to relate to other people.
At our Waukegan location, the hours are: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, from 8:30 AM to 8 PM; and Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM.
At our Round Lake Park location, the hours are: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 8:00 AM to 5 PM; and Tuesday and Thursday from 8:00 AM to 8 PM.
Lake County Health Department /Community Health Center
3010 Grand Avenue, 1st floor
Waukegan
847.377.8180
Avon Township Offices
423 E. Washington Street
Round Lake Park
847.377.8855
(Just west of Hainesville Road, on the south side)
For more information, please call the phone number of the office nearest to you.
