April 24, 2024
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Trinity Services recognized for 10 recent advances to help people with developmental disabilities and mental illness

2021 International Business Awards honors New Lenox nonprofit with a Stevie Award

By Denise M. Baran-Unland
Nurses Jennifer Saunders (left) and Jacque Smith have been in quarantine with their patients for more than 50 days.

Jennifer Saunders (left) and Jacque Smith were in quarantine with their clients at Trinity Services in New Lenox for more than 50 days. Trinity Services was recently recognized for 10 recent advances. One was having approximately 200 direct support professionals temporarily shelter-in-place at group homes during the pandemic to keep people as safe as possible. (Eric Ginnard)

The 2021 International Business Awards recently awarded Trinity Services in New Lenox a Gold Stevie Award in the Organization of the Year in the category of non-profit or government organizations – large, according to a news release from Trinity Services.

Trinity Services has recently made 10 advances to help people with developmental disabilities and mental illness “flourish and live full and abundant lives,” the release said.

According to the news release, these advances are:

• Earning Person-Centered Excellence Accreditation, With Distinction, from The Council on Quality and Leadership. Trinity Services was among 1% of organizations nationwide to achieve this accreditation.

• Opening a 16-unit permanent supportive housing development for people with disabilities in Northlake. A similar 25-unit development was opened in New Lenox.

• Launching Abilities Behavior Services “to provide applied behavior analysis services to children, adults and seniors with dementia in Southwest Illinois

• Creating a Mobile Crisis Response Unit to improve emergency response to people experiencing a mental health crisis. This was done in partnership with the Orland Park Police Department and through a $700,000 U.S. Department of Justice.

• Expanding its Rapid Rehousing Program. This was possible through a $268,684 grant from the Will County Continuum of Care

• Piloting remote support services in six residential locations, thanks to a grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Division of Developmental Disabilities

• Having approximately 200 direct support professionals (people who care for individuals with developmental disabilities) temporarily shelter-in-place at group homes during the pandemic. This eliminated shift changes and helped to keep people as safe as possible.

• Helping approximately 50 people who were homeless find housing during the pandemic

• Offering free mental health consultations to individuals in Trinity Service’s counseling center’s coverage area during the stay-at-home order.

• Organizing vaccination clinics to ensure people with disabilities and staff who support them had access to vaccines. These clinics were organized in partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services and many community organizations.

For more information, visit trinityservices.org and StevieAwards.com/IBA.