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Who we are

Mission Statement

Tommy Talks, a Chicago based nonprofit, promotes normalizing and improving mental health through creative arts, education, and peer support.

In pursuit of our Mission, we strive to:

-Improve societies understanding of mental health and the mind-body connection between mental and physical health.

-Provide education and opportunities for individuals to identify early warning signs of mental illness and subsequently provide an open platform that supports recovery and improves resilience for these individuals.

-Provide a personal platform to express and share internal feelings and information about traumas (ie. mental health, childhood, sexual etc) and coping mechanisms.

-Advocate for improved support and treatment particularly at the state and federal levels, especially where reform is needed.


Vision Statement

Our vision is to improve the lives of those living with mental illness and provide emotional wellness for individuals, as we strive to deliver services and support necessary to improve the quality of life for children, youth, and adults with mental illness. Intense determination, first-hand experience, and up to date knowledge give us the credibility to advocate for the mental health community. As a growing influential organization in our community, we hope to be able to influence decisions, policies and beliefs that further promote mental well-being in society as a whole. 


Values

-Recognize, respect, and respond to every individual with human dignity.

-Mental health is essential to personal well-being, and is fundamental to achieving a healthy, balanced, and productive life.

-Normalize mental health & healing from trauma.

-Unless we promote community understanding of mental illness, plus tolerance and acceptance of people living with the illness, people will continue to avoid talking about mental illness and also avoid seeking help.

-The goal of treatment is recovery, and it is important for those with a mental illness to be an integral part of their recovery process – decisions, programs, support groups, medication regimens.


We recognize that the achievement of our vision depends on the combined dedication, creativity and compassion of our volunteers, partners, and those we serve.

About Us: About

Meet the Board

Our team is dedicated to #normalizementalhealth and strives to help give our communities the tools they need to learn, heal, educate, support, and grow with each other.

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Tommy Talley

President/Executive Director

Karla Valadez

Treasurer

Rochelle Cortez

Secretary

About Us: Team Members

Meet our Directors

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Lisa Aguilera
”Luna”

Director of Spiritual Wellness

Jared Carter

Director of Marketing

Michael Roggenkamp

Director of Youth Engagement

About Us: Team Members

Additional Information - Disclaimer

The contents of the Tommy Talks website, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the Tommy Talks website ("content") are for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Tommy Talks website!

If you are in crisis or you think you may have an emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. If you're having suicidal thoughts, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to talk to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area at any time (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline). If you are located outside the United States, call your local emergency line immediately.

Tommy Talks is not a direct service organization. Tommy Talks does not recommend or endorse any clinicians, counselors, psychiatrists, social workers, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the website. Reliance on any information provided by Tommy Talks, Tommy Talks employees, others appearing on the website at the invitation of Tommy Talks, or other visitors to the website is solely at your own risk

About Us: Text
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