The head of a local nonprofit drug prevention and treatment agency plans to step down from her leadership post this month to pursue another opportunity.
Kate Mahoney has spent over 30 years working in prevention and treatment of substance abuse disorders for residents in Skokie and surrounding communities.
She has served as executive director of Evanston and Glenview-based PEER (Prevention, Education, Evaluation, Rehabilitation) Services since 1988. The program serves residents in Evanston, Niles, Maine, Northfield and New Trier Townships.
She plans to leave her post this month to take on a job as executive director of The Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute for Mental Health Education at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology where Mahoney said she’ll work on reducing the stigma attached to substance abuse and mental health issues that oftentimes presents a barrier to treatment for those in need.
Mahoney, a licensed clinical social worker, was hired as program director at PEER in 1985.
She said she came to realize that many people seeking mental health treatment also struggled with substance abuse disorders.
“I look at substance abuse as a mental health issue and many of the people we treat initially they were trying to self-medicate depression and anxiety (with substances), and so it’s a really closely connected field for me,” she said.
PEER Services was founded in 1975 as a small grass roots, community-oriented organization aimed at tackling a heroin epidemic, said Monica Weed, chair of the PEER Services board of directors. Over the years and under Mahoney’s leadership, she said, the non-profit has transformed to tackle issues beyond treatment of heroin addiction and has morphed into an organization aimed at preventing all kinds of substance abuse in addition to treatment.
“(Mahoney’s) contributions to PEER since she’s been aligned with the organization for over 30 years are immeasurable, frankly,” Weed said. “PEER has evolved significantly over the last 30 years largely as a result of (Mahoney’s) dedication to the issues that PEER addresses, and her dedication to the communities and clients.”
Mahoney said PEER works in collaboration with local school districts, parent and community groups to educate children and families about substance abuse prevention. Additionally, the organization provides out-patient and intensive out-patient treatment services to adolescents, young and older adults.
PEER Services treats about 600 individuals every year and reaches many more through its education and prevention work, Mahoney said.
“I’ve always had a special interest in trying to prevent and respond to heroin use,” Mahoney said. “We’ve done a lot of work on that. I never imagined it would grow to the extent it has right now.”
Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen said substance abuse is something that cuts across all socio-economic classifications.
“There isn’t one community in this country, no matter what its socioeconomic makeup, that doesn’t experience this kind of problem, and in a sense we’re fortunate in Skokie to have had a network of organizations, of which PEER is one, that can help people,” Van Dusen said. He said Mahoney will be missed and that local schools and the village’s Human Services Division have routinely sought out her expertise.
Weed said PEER thas hired a search firm to find Mahoney’s successor.
Christine McCall, will serve as interim executive director until a replacement is chosen, according to Mahoney.
Mahoney praised her staff and said she’s leaving the agency in very capable hands.
In her new role at the Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute, Mahoney said she hopes to change the way people think about substance abuse and mental illness with the aim of building the same levels of support for prevention work, treatment and funding that other diseases and health conditions receive.
“Addiction and other mental health issues can happen to anyone, any family, in any community and we all need to put our arms around people who are struggling and support them through their process of recovery,” she said.
Lee V. Gaines is a freelancer.
