"Bridging the gap between people and resources" |
|
|
National Provider Network
The National Provider Network (NPN) began as a regional meeting of community-based providers known as Local Area Network (LAN 53). LAN 53 was one of the 65 Local Area Networks established throughout Illinois by the B.H. Consent Decree of 1988 to protect mental health and educational resources for children and families serviced by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). LAN 53 represents youth and families in the four Illinois townships of Bloom, Bremen, Rich and Thronton making it the largest network in the state. DCFS later launched the Permanency Enhancement Project (PEP) Action Teams to facilitate the onging refinement and implementation of action plans to improve permaency and reduce the overrepresentation of African American children in foster care. In 2019, Family 2 Family Federation for Children’s Mental Health joined the network. Later that year, Family 2 Family's executive director, Kimberly Haynes was elected to serve as co-convener for LAN 53 and the regions representative on the PEP Action Team. LAN 53 is one of the larger networks in Illinois, and serves more than 50 cities and municipalities within Bloom, Bremen, Rich and Thronton towships. In 2019, before the pandemic, LAN 53 moved to a virtual meeting platform to engage more stakeholders across the service area.
This proved to be a highly effective and intuitive move ahead of the COVID 19 pandemic that started in 2020. LAN 53 became a platform for compassionate conversations around how the pandemic was having a disproportionate impact on the mental health of children, families, educators and essential workers. |
|
|
In 2020, Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) joined the network and began providing funding through the NOVO Foundation to expand access to evidence based social and emotional learning curriculum, programs and training for schools and youth serving organizations across the state of Illinois. The relationship generated national and international exposure for LAN 53, and soon, Lions Club members began attending and contributing to the network on a regular basis.
In 2021, Family 2 Family created the National Provider Network as a sustainable structure to continue the work of the LAN 53 Permanency Enhancement Project while building on the opportunity to collaborate and establish multi agency and national partnerships. Each month NPN works toward the goal of increasing access to educational and mental health support services by highlighting innovative services, programs and funding opportunities that focus on mental wellbeing, social and emotional learning, education and economic and community development. The virtual meetings are held monthly between January – November on the third Thursday from 10AM-11AM. Membership is free and open to the public. |
|