Guiding Families through Mental Health Challenges & Resources for School Staff
Presented By:
Bonnie Lane, MA
November 14, 2025
Child and Adolescent Professional Development Series
Topics Covered
- Access to Resources Post-Hospitalization: Participants will be able to identify and navigate local resources, insurance-based support, and benefits related to Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) that assist individuals transitioning from hospitalization.
- Post treatment in-home supports: Attendees will gain knowledge of how to navigate supportive resources when they return home from treatment.
- Levels of Guardianship and Estate Planning: Participants will understand the different levels of guardianship and their implications, as well as the essential components of estate planning, enabling them to assist individuals and families in making informed decisions about legal protections and future care arrangements.
Video: Watch the Presentation
Presented by:Bonnie Lane, MS Therapeutic Consultant • Mental Health Advocate • Mediator
Bonnie Lane is an experienced Mental Health Therapeutic Consultant and Advocate with more than two decades of dedicated service supporting individuals and families navigating severe and complex mental health challenges. Her career reflects a deep commitment to guiding families through crisis, connecting them with appropriate resources, and helping them build stability, understanding, and hope during their most difficult moments.
Bonnie’s professional experience spans influential leadership and clinical roles across the mental health landscape. She served as the Program Director at Youth Services of Glenview and Northbrook, where she facilitated parent groups for families of children living with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. She later became the Executive Director of Project Chesed for the JCCs of Chicagoland and the Executive Director of Wilmette Youth Connection, further expanding her impact in community mental health and outreach. Most recently, Bonnie served with Thresholds, one of Illinois’ largest mental health agencies, as the Team Leader for case managers in the Young Adult Program.
In her private practice, Bonnie has supported families dealing with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorder—helping them navigate treatment systems, crisis responses, placement options, and the maze of resources available from adolescence through adulthood. Providing clarity, advocacy, and compassionate guidance during times of crisis is not just her work—it is her lifelong passion.
Bonnie brings strong professional skills in mindfulness, crisis intervention, nonprofit leadership, communication coaching, therapy, mental health and substance use disorder placement, and mediation. She is also a Certified Mediator and certified in Domestic Violence Counseling, enhancing her ability to support families facing high-stress or high-risk situations.
Deeply involved in statewide mental health advocacy, Bonnie currently serves on the NAMI Illinois Legislative Committee, the NAMI CCNS Board, and the North & Northwest Suburban Housing Task Force. She is also part of the Healthy Minds Healthy Lives Coalition through Thresholds and participates in the Mental Health Summit. As a Board Member and Program Chairperson of No Shame on U, she facilitates twice-monthly support groups for families of individuals with serious mental illness, offered at no charge to the community.
Trusted by clinicians, schools, and families across Illinois, Bonnie Lane continues to be a guiding force for those seeking support, stability, and expert leadership during mental health crises.
Joint Accreditation Statement:
Joint Accreditation Statement: In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Amedco LLC and Galen Mental Health. Amedco LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. Amedco Joint Accreditation #4008163.