Northwestern Medicine Ben Gordon Center: The Living Room
If you or a loved one is experiencing overwhelming life circumstances, mental health or substance use issues, join us in The Living Room.* Northwestern Medicine Ben Gordon Center provides this space for people to address crises without going to an emergency department.
Facts about The Living Room
- Open to any DeKalb County resident age 18 or older
- You do not need to be a registered client of Ben Gordon Center
- No appointment needed
- No cost
In The Living Room, peer recovery support specialists will welcome you. These specialists have had personal experiences with mental health and substance use issues. They also have training that helps them provide crisis intervention, recovery support and community resources.
Services and Resources
A specialist may spend time with you for:
- Recovery support
- Peer counseling
- eCPR
- Mindfulness meditation
- Breathing exercises
- Listening to music
- Coloring
- Doing word search or sudoku puzzles
- Journaling
- Doing crafts
- Playing board games or card games
- Establishing a Wellness Recovery Action Plan®;
The Living Room also offers:
- Crisis intervention
- Safety planning
- Assistance with problem-solving
- Referrals for emergency housing, health care and food
*
Funding for The Living Room is provided in whole or in part by the Illinois Department of Human Services.