Kane Health Department offers drive-thru event to promote mental health

The public is invited to participate in the Safe Kane County Drive-Thru Pickup event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, April 25, at the parking lot of the Circuit Clerk’s Office, 540 S. Randall Road, St. Charles, officials announced in a news release.

This initiative kicks off the Kane County Health Department’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline awareness campaign.

“Our hope is that every person in our community knows that help is just three digits away,” Health Department Executive Director Michael Isaacson said in the release. “By spreading the word about 988, we can reach more people, start important conversations, and ensure that no one feels alone in a moment of crisis.”

Instead of calling 911, those in a suicide or mental health crisis are urged to call 988 Lifeline instead. It offers free and confidential support for anyone in crisis for a suicidal, mental health or substance use crisis or for those who are in emotional distress.

More information is available online at www.kanehealth.com.

The campaign aims to increase community understanding of the 988 Lifeline, reduce stigma around mental health and suicide, and connect individuals in crisis with immediate, confidential support, according to the release.

Community members can pick up 988 yard signs, window clings and bumper stickers for placement at homes, businesses and organizations – without getting out of their cars.

Those who pick up the materials are encouraged to take a photo with their 988 sign, share it on their social media platforms and tag the Kane County Health Department to let their friends and family know that support is always available.

The drive-thru event will also offer free gun trigger locks, biometric gun safes, and the opioid overdose-reversing nasal spray, naloxone, while supplies last.

No ID or prescription is required, but gun owners must show a valid FOID card to receive a free biometric gun safe, according to the release.

The Safe Kane County Drive-Thru Pickup event aligns with Health Department’s recently launched campaign, “Connect with Kane: Learn, Grow, Thrive,” a yearlong effort aimed at raising awareness about the importance of mental health and facilitating access to local mental health and substance use resources.