Envision Unlimited Blog

For all of us at Envision Unlimited, 2022 has been a year of breakouts. A strong comeback from challenges we overcame during the pandemic, expanding our housing programs, innovative growth of our mental health services, record success with our employment programs, supportive and resilient new staff who have joined us, and the generous donors who continue to support our work have strengthened our foundation.

Envision Unlimited, a full spectrum of care organization that provides support to people with intellectual, development and psychiatric disabilities in Chicagoland and Central Illinois, has welcomed 110 new individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and more than 80 direct service staff with the acquisition of residential housing formerly under management of St. Coletta’s of Illinois.

Our staff is the best. That includes everyone from our direct service providers who care for our members to our clinical therapists in Mental Health Services, and from our program directors at our Day Centers to our board-certified behavior analysts in Autism Services.

Previously, we've written about what developmental disabilities are, as well as some of the more common developmental disabilities. Here, we'll cover the most common symptoms of developmental disabilities

Nearly one in five people (or 20% of the population) in the United States lives with a mental illness. Odds are, you know at least one person in your network or immediate family who struggles with a mental health disorder.

Everyone who wants a healthy lifestyle—regardless of age, gender, or ability—cannot overlook the importance of exercise. Regular exercise is essential for maintaining a healthy weight, warding off chronic illness, and even helping extend our life expectancy.

So you've made the leap and scheduled your first therapy session. Congratulations! Therapy can be an extremely powerful tool for improving your mental health, working through difficult life issues, or getting to know yourself a little better.

Job interviews can be intimidating. That's particularly true if you've been out of the job market for a while or if you're a non-traditional job applicant.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one billion people worldwide (approximately 15% of the global population) have some form of disability.  Sadly, the modern world isn't always friendly for people with disabilities. Many of them cannot access essential services such as healthcare and education, find employment, or even move around in society. 

For family members of those with special needs or disabilities, caregiving can be a full-time job. The caregiver’s other responsibilities, relationships, and personal needs often take a backseat to their caregiving duties. Neglecting these aspects of one’s life typically leads to burnout. Many caregivers avoid this burnout through respite care.