The wide range of services through the Ben Gordon Center were explained by Manager of Crisis Continuum of Care Yemilei Schroeder during this week’s Rotary Meeting.  The Ben Gordon Center can provide multiple specialty behavioral health experts for all ages.  Schroeder said taking the step for access to a mental health behavioral professional is often a major hurdle to overcome for those needing treatment.  She said the recently enacted nationwide “988” telephone crisis line number is the latest approach for expanding awareness to services.  It is estimated that as many as 80% of calls can be resolved over the phone.  Schroeder said there has been limited use of the crisis line in DeKalb County for now, but increased call volume is expected as more people seek out telehealth options.  The Ben Gordon Center also offers an in-person drop-in space called their “Living Room” Center.  No appointments are necessary and no insurance coverage is required.

 

Schroeder said treatment for those with behavioral health needs has recently transitioned into a 24-hour service.  She gave as an example the Ben Gordon Center mobile crisis response team which works in tandem with the DeKalb, Sycamore, and County law enforcement agencies.  The team consists of two people trained to help deescalate emotionally charged situations related to behavioral health issues and then provide resolution coordination to prevent a repeat of the situation.  Schroeder gave as an example a special thank-you award by the City of Sycamore  that went to one of their response team members for aiding an elderly resident.  Schroeder said their teams are specially trained through crisis planning and best crisis follow-up.

 

Should you or someone you know be struggling with emotional or substance abuse issues or thoughts of suicide, call “988” for confidential support, learn more about behavioral health issues and help by visiting the Ben Gordon Center website at www.bengordoncenter.org, or visit the Center at 12 Health Services Drive, DeKalb.          

January 30, 1882 – The 32^nd President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, is born in Hyde Park, New York.  Despite being crippled by polio, he launched a successful political career and as President oversaw relief efforts for the Great Depression and America’s response to World War II.  He died in office during his unprecedented fourth term as President.

 

January 31, 1919 – Baseball great Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in major league baseball when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, is born in Cairo, Georgia.

 

February 2, 1895 – Papa Bear George Halas is born in Chicago.  He was a standout athlete at the University of Illinois.  Enlisting in the Navy, he was named MVP in the 1919 Rose Bowl game playing for the winning team.  He went on to join the Decatur Staleys football team (renamed the Bears when they moved to Chicago) as player-coach.  He retired from coaching in 1968 with 318 wins and six NFL titles.

 

February 3, 1894 – Prolific American artist and illustrator Norman Rockwell is born in New York City.  He produces more than 4,000 original works during his lifetime.

February 1, 1960 – In Greensboro, North Carolina, four African American students sat down and ordered coffee at a segregated lunch counter inside a Woolworth’s store.  They were refused service but did not leave, instead they waited all day.  The scene was repeated over the next few months with protests spreading to other southern towns.  Sit-ins become part of the Civil Rights Movement.  The lunch counter was integrated on July 25^th when the store manager asked three black employees to change out of their work clothes and order a meal.

 

February 1, 2003 – Sixteen minutes before it was scheduled to land, the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart over west Texas, killing all seven crew members.

 

February 3, 1870 – The 15^th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution is ratified guaranteeing the right of citizens to vote regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

 

February 3, 1913 – The 16^th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution is ratified granting Congress the authority to collect income taxes.