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Who We Are

[ar-oo-kaw’]: healing of a wound, restoring to wholeness, recovery, repair, perfected, the new flesh that grows at the wounded spot.

PURPOSE

The Arukah Institute provides client-centered, complementary health and counseling services to foster prevention wellness, and mental health in rural communities. Arukah’s method involves a variety of approaches including novel video-based programs, mind-body therapies as well as more conventional individual and group therapies. We journey with clients long-term and help them build a healthy view of self as well as healthy relationships with others. Our method is data-driven and validated by our research program.

MISSION

Bringing accessible & relational holistic complementary health and mental health care to rural communities

VISION

Restored hope and purpose in rural communities

AREA STATISTICS

The following statistics were collected from Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall and Putnam counties and represent high priority challenges facing our region today:

HIGH RATES OF SUICIDE AND SELF-INFLICTED INJURY

Suicide rates are 63% higher that State of Illinois¹

ELEVATED OVERDOSE RATES AND YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE

First responders, medical and behavioral health professionals administer 5 doses of Naloxone every single day², and substance usage of any substance (i.e., alcohol, marijuana) doubles between 8th and 12th grades³.

A LACK OF COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH SERVICES

Complementary and integrative strategies (e.g., mindfulness) for treating mental issues in our area are lacking. This results in few non-pharmacologic (non-drug) therapies for mental issues such as anxiety and depression, and few non-addictive treatment options for pain. This becomes particularly important regarding prescription opioid addiction.

LIMITED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Our communities are designated as federally underserved areas for mental health. Our communities are also designated as mental health professional shortage areas⁴.This means that many community members report long wait times to see a counselor or therapist, or they are not successful in finding one at all.

RESIDENTS IN LARGE PART ARE UNABLE TO AFFORD MENTAL HEALTH CARE

Compared to the Illinois average, more residents in our community lack insurance or use Medicare, and numbers of children in medical assistance programs continue to rise⁵

STIGMA IN RURAL AREAS IS EXCEPTIONALY STRONG

Persons report barriers to receiving the help they need. People worry about how medical providers will react, and they are concerned about having mental illness or substance use information in their medical record. Substance use and mental illness are often viewed negatively and differently from other chronic medical conditions, and people often feel shame even though it’s not their fault.

Data Sources: ¹2021 County Health Rankings (data from 2015-2019); ²Law Enforcement, Emergency Services and Other Agency Records (2021); ³Illinois Youth Survey (2018-2020); ⁴Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) Find Tool, Health Resources and Services Administration, US Health and Human Services; ⁵Bureau, Putnam and Marshall County Health IPLAN (2020).

The Arukah Institute of Healing, Inc (NFP) does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, disability, sex, national origin or sexual orientation in any of its activities or operations.

No one will be denied access to services due to inability to pay, and there is a discounted/sliding fee schedule available based on family size and income.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Keith Cain

PRESIDENT OF ARUKAH INSTITUTE OF HEALING

Experience: 55+ years in entrepreneurship and small business management.

Belief: Mental Health impacts every family and all people should be talking about it to break the stigma.

Tom Stevenson

Vice-President of Arukah Institute of Healing

Experience: 45+ years in business, founder of Geneva Holdings Group.

Belief: Faith, action, and sharing can allow you to live well with a mental health condition.

Angie Stevenson

director of Arukah Institute of Healing

Experience: 25+ years running a family-owned moving & storage business, with a strong focus on customer service and community involvement.

Belief: Everyone deserves access to compassionate care close to home. Mental health challenges are part of life—not a weakness—and the more we talk about them, the more we break down the barriers that keep people from getting help.

Theresia Rapp

Secretary of Arukah Institute of Healing

Experience: >20 years in a professional corporate environment, with the last five years focused in Procurement.

Belief: Life does not control you. What you think about it, does. Control your thoughts, in turn you control your circumstances.

stephanie jo Thompson

treasurer of Arukah Institute of Healing

Experience: Currently in my second term as Auditor of LaSalle County. Prior to Auditor, I have been in banking most of my career.

Belief: It’s ok to love from a distance in order to take care of your own mental health.

Paul Scruggs, BS

board member of Arukah Institute of Healing

Experience: >30 years of agri-business with an emphasis on commodity trading.

Belief: To serve God is to serve others and in that context, we should strive to make the world a better place for those around us.

john mccormick

board member of Arukah Institute of Healing

Experience: 29 years in the banking industry helping our communities grow and prosper

Belief: We must leave the world in a better place than we find it.

brent roalson

board member of Arukah Institute of Healing

Experience: 29 + years in Law Enforcement/13 years as Chief of Police – City of Ottawa

Belief: The time we have here is short. The list of tasks we have been given is long. Alone we can make a difference, but together we can accomplish the list.