About
Mission Statement
To support mental, intellectual and developmental health, and well-being for residents of the seven townships in INC’s alliance by responsibly using these local resources to fund, plan, coordinate, monitor, advocate, educate and lead collaborative efforts for a local system of care that provides services to any resident with mental health concerns, developmental/intellectual disabilities and/or substance use disorders.
Staff
Dalila Alegria, Executive Director
Colleen Balija, Operations Manager
Ann Montgomery, Administrative Assistant
A unique partnership of township community mental health boards
INC Mental Health Alliance (INC) is the local mental health authority better known as ‘INC’ in the south Kane County area. We are a unique partnership of seven township community mental health 708 boards. After passing a referendum for collection of a mental health tax, each township levies this tax upon recommendation of their 708 board. The levies are combined to maximize planning and funding for the residents in all seven townships for mental health, developmental disability, and substance abuse services. The combined levies are administered by INC, the umbrella board, with a small staff. The umbrella board consists of a representative from each of the seven-township community mental health 708 boards and eight at-large members.
INC staff works closely with local area schools, universities, service providers, agencies, hospitals, the health department, other local funders, and others to keep on top of available community mental health services and plan for their delivery to any resident in need. INC is also involved with state associations to keep abreast of broader issues. Through knowledge gained by working on these collaborations, committees, task forces, councils, and so on, staff determines where the system needs improvement and shares knowledge with the board of directors to design a Three-Year Plan with One-Year updates. The Plan provides an overview of the service delivery system, goals for improvement, and objectives to reach the goals.
Agencies funded by INC work to improve service delivery in accordance with INC’s goals. Approximately 15 agencies are currently funded and provide services for over 10,000 residents each year. Until early 2022, INC also owned 13 acres of land with four buildings on the Ascension Mercy campus in Aurora. These taxpayer-owned buildings house several agencies at below-market rent, providing administrative and program space for them to deliver services.
SCHOLARSHIPS
INC Mental Health Alliance is proud to offer two scholarships through the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley. These scholarships are offered annually for individuals who wish to continue their education and enter the rewarding field of social work. Individuals interested in learning more and/or applying should contact the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley directly. More information can be found on their website communityfoundationfrv.org
Jerry J. Murphy Master of Social Work Scholarship
Available to students of Latino descent with bilingual and bicultural proficiency. Reserved for graduate students studying to obtain a Master of Social Work degree. (In exchange for this assistance, students must contractually agree to seek and accept bona fide offers of employment from a nonprofit human services agency located in or serving residents of southern Kane County, which provides services in a field for which they have been educated/trained in whole or in part through their acceptance of the aforementioned scholarship, and further, to remain in such employment for a period of two full years. This must be done within the first year following receipt of the MSW degree.)
Christine A. Ponquinette Memorial/INC Board Minority Student Scholarship
Available to African American or Hispanic students pursuing a degree in Social Work. Preference will be given to students attending Aurora University, to students currently enrolled in Aurora University’s School of Social Work, or to residents of southern Kane County. (In exchange for assistance from this fund, students must agree to seek and accept bona fide offers of employment from a not for profit human services agency located within southern Kane County which provides services in a field for which they have been educated or trained in whole or in part through their acceptance of this scholarship, and further, to remain in such employment the number of years the scholarship was provided to them.)
Our Mission
To support mental, intellectual and developmental health, and well-being for residents of the seven townships in INC’s alliance by responsibly using these local resources to fund, plan, coordinate, monitor, advocate, educate, and lead collaborative efforts for a local system of care that provides services to any resident with mental health concerns, developmental/intellectual disabilities and/or substance use disorders.
A substance use disorder (SUD) is a mental disorder that affects a person’s brain and behavior, leading to a person’s inability to control their use of substances such as legal or illegal drugs, alcohol, or medications.
Agencies providing SUD services offer residential, prevention, education, evaluation, and treatment to adolescents and adults within our service area. Our SUD Roundtable offers an opportunity for all providers in the area to share within our community.
Funding for DD/ID services within our area provide support, education, and aftercare support for families navigating a diagnosis. We support programs that assist families with the needs they manage on an ongoing basis.
incmha.org strives to ensure that its services are accessible to people with disabilities. incmha.org has invested a significant number of resources to help ensure that its website is made easier to use and more accessible for people with disabilities, with the strong belief that every person has the right to live with dignity, equality, comfort, and independence.