Pillars Community Health Celebrates 50 Years of Crisis Intervention and Expands Mobile Crisis Response

COUNTRYSIDE, Ill. (July 6, 2026) — For 50 years, people experiencing a behavioral health crisis have turned to Pillars Community Health for compassionate, community-based support. Today, the organization is building on that legacy by expanding its Mobile Crisis Response services, introducing a new, easy-to-remember crisis phone number—708-6-CRISIS (708-627-4747)—and celebrating five decades of crisis intervention services that began in 1976 through its predecessor agencies. 

The expansion will bring Pillars Community Health Mobile Crisis Response to additional communities across suburban Cook County, increasing access to timely, trauma-informed behavioral health care for children, adolescents, adults, and families experiencing a mental health crisis. 

“Every person deserves someone to answer the call during a behavioral health crisis,” said Lanita Higgs-Jackson, President and CEO of Pillars Community Health. “For 50 years, our organization has stood beside individuals and families during some of life’s most difficult moments. As the need for behavioral health crisis services continues to grow, we’re expanding our reach so that more people can receive compassionate, timely care close to home. This anniversary isn’t about looking back—it’s about strengthening our commitment to be there whenever our community needs us.” 

Since 1976, crisis intervention at Pillars Community Health has evolved alongside the changing needs of the communities it serves. What began through predecessor organizations as local crisis counseling has grown into a comprehensive crisis response system that includes 24-hour telephone crisis support, Mobile Crisis Response, crisis stabilization, care coordination, and connections to ongoing behavioral health and community services. 

The newly launched 708-6-CRISIS (708-627-4747) phone number provides residents with a simple way to reach trained behavioral health professionals 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The local crisis line complements the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by connecting callers with clinicians who know the communities they serve and can dispatch Mobile Crisis Response teams when appropriate. 

Mobile Crisis Response brings trained behavioral health professionals directly to individuals wherever they are—at home, at school, or elsewhere in the community—to assess the situation, de-escalate the crisis, and connect them with appropriate care. Responding in familiar environments whenever possible helps reduce unnecessary emergency department visits and law enforcement involvement while ensuring people receive compassionate, clinically appropriate support. 

In the last twelve months, Pillars Community Health responded to more than 1,219 crisis calls, providing immediate support to individuals and families throughout its service area. 

“Every call is unique because every person’s experience is unique,” said Justyna Czerny, Director of Crisis Services. “Our role is to meet people with compassion, assess what they need in that moment, and connect them with the support, resources, and ongoing care that can help them move forward.” 

The expansion reflects the continued evolution of community-based behavioral health care. As awareness of mental health has grown and crisis response has changed nationwide, Pillars Community Health has continued to adapt its services to meet the needs of the communities it serves while remaining committed to providing accessible, person-centered care close to home. 

Community members experiencing a behavioral health crisis—or those concerned about a family member, friend, or neighbor—can call 708-6-CRISIS (708-627-4747) at any time, day or night. Individuals may also call or text 988 to reach the national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 

As Pillars Community Health looks toward the future, the organization remains focused on expanding access to behavioral health services, strengthening community partnerships, and ensuring that everyone experiencing a crisis has somewhere to turn. 

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