The Resiliency Collective

Our Why

In 2020, Illinois, like the rest of the country and world experienced a collective trauma that upended the way we did everything from work to school to leisure to rest.  For many people, the pandemic opened their eyes to the visceral pain of mental crises and trauma, and for others with existing conditions, it heightened their internal agonies. As we witnessed countless neighbors fall ill or worse, we saw the need for greater mental health support rise in a system unprepared to handle the emotional toll of the public.

What the US experienced during the pandemic was both a crisis and a wake-up call. Those with access needed support. Those without it needed support. Those who provided support needed support, and those in supportive roles felt the weight of their loved one’s burden. The tremendous need was reflected across states and racial and economic breakdowns. People were hurting everywhere, and there was not enough care to go around.

In Illinois, this was no different. In a 2023 CDC PULSE study, 32-35% of adult Illinois residents experience symptom of anxiety and depression. Broken down by age group, the highest numbers are in individuals between the ages of 18 and 29. What isn’t included in the index is the mental health crisis among children nationwide, with over 40% reporting symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts.

In a the 2024 Health Outcomes Disparities Report from the Illinois Department of Human Services, a fifth of the U.S. population lives with a mental illness, which includes children starting at age 13. This report highlights research from the Kaiser Family Foundation which estimates that in Illinois, the mental health workforce meets only 23% of the state’s need. While the tragedies and isolation of COVID heightened public awareness, it is likely to take years before the medical and behavioral infrastructure catches up to the actual need. Consistent with national findings, disparities remain the highest among minority populations and coincide with income level, access to quality care and resources, and cultural stigmas preventing people from seeking treatment.

Additionally, the impact of the pandemic on children is still being studied, and from what is known so far is that it compounded the already increasing levels of depression and anxiety experienced by kids from kindergarten through high school. In 2023, over 20% of adolescents and teens had a diagnosed mental health condition, with anxiety and depression being the most prominent concern. In Illinois’ Blueprint for Transformation: A Blueprint for Children’s Mental Health, the governor cites building capacity and fortifying networks in local communities as top priorities in address the immense need to support the mental health of our youngest population. And while only mental health providers can offer clinical solutions for desperate parents, public community resources, like museums are poised to uplift and support everyone without barriers or constraints.

If there is a silver lining to the many negative effects of the pandemic, it is that many people became acutely aware of the importance of their and others’ mental health. This is a wake-up call moment for for sectors not previously practiced in mental health discourse to reach audiences at a deeper level, by acknowledging their internal burdens, and serving them in a purposeful way.

The Resiliency Collective seizes on this unique moment of collective health awareness in a way that destigmatizes mental health topics and fosters engagement in community healing through art, culture, and the humanities. This initiative, the only one in the state, seeks to reinvigorate the relationship public with museums and communities, supporting both individuals and the institutions serving them. The Illinois Association of Museums supports museums across the state regardless of size and staff through education and resources. As an initiative of IAM, The Resiliency Collective steps in to join organizations throughout the state to reach and individuals who are on the sidelines of care due to location, access, or stigma, and welcome them into a healing environment that requires nothing of them and presents no barriers.

1. https://www.ilga.gov/reports/ReportsSubmitted/4867RSGAEmail10314RSGAAttachDHS_ILHealthDisparitiesReport_Memo%2020240328.pdf

2. https://www.kff.org/statedata/mental-health-and-substance-use-state-fact-sheets/illinois/

3. National Survey of Children’s Health - https://www.kff.org/statedata/mental-health-and-substance-use-state-fact-sheets/illinois/