Nexus Family Healing - Manteno Campus

06/17/2026

Last weekend, some of our youth volunteered with vocational instructors Jim Shrove and Michelle Leonard at the Strawberry Jazz Festival in Bourbonnais. Although clouds hung overhead, our youths’ efforts shone through as they showed up bright and early to help artisans set up their vendor stations! We thank Jim and Michelle, and event organizer Bonnie Brewer, secretary of the Community Arts Council of Kankakee County, for providing our youth with an opportunity to build confidence in taking on a role that helps others.

06/15/2026

At our Family and Friends Summer Kickoff, we recently welcomed our youth, their families, and our care team professionals to join in good food, games, and conversation. Whether waiting in line for hot dogs or sitting under the campus pavilion, our youth proudly introduced their siblings and parents to our team members. We are happy to create experiences like these to promote celebration and community while supporting the healing of our youth.

06/12/2026

Education is a vital part of treatment at Nexus Family Healing, and it helps set the stage for our youth to achieve independence. We recently recognized four educators – Lisa Boukhari, Janice Salm, Vernasyne Dockery, and Danyel Nelson – for their 20 years of service at our Safe Harbor School! They have worked at Safe Harbor since its beginning, crediting their longevity to the positive relationships they have with our youth and coworkers. We thank these professionals for being a consistent presence on campus for two decades, helping our youth grow and heal.

If you would like to explore career options at Nexus Family Healing, visit https://buff.ly/8mGVKUN

06/11/2026

The youth in our care benefit from a sense of safety, structure, and stability, and at times this means simply having an extra shirt or pair of pants. Motivated to provide such items, our vocational trainer Michelle put together a resource room with clothing, games, blankets, and books. We recognize her efforts and thank St. Paul's Lutheran Church and School for the donations that provide the basics every young person deserves.

06/05/2026

At Safe Harbor School’s spring awards ceremony, we celebrated high school and junior high students with honor roll distinctions and honorable mentions. We loved seeing our youth celebrate their achievements with hugs from their families, a celebratory arm raise, and even the occasional impromptu speech thanking our team. It is our pleasure to recognize our students’ achievements, and we look forward to continuing to support their academic and mental health journeys while they are in our care at Manteno.

05/28/2026

The fear that a learning assessment will label your child forever is common, but the reality is more positive. As a starting point, assessments help you and teachers learn about your child's strengths and how to surround them with support. Explore how these tools bolster student wellness and learning in this blog post from Nexus Family Healing: https://buff.ly/xr8ZGRx

April 16, 2026 Understanding how school assessments support your child’s learning, behavior, and growth. With increasing conversations around mandatory school assessments, many parents find themselves feeling anxious or even alarmed. Questions like “What does this evaluation mean for my child’...

05/20/2026

Our staff joined together to help one of our youth plan and celebrate her birthday, an occasion filled with pink decorations and music from a playlist that she customized herself. She and her peers also enjoyed eating her favorite BBQ and a slice or two of birthday cake. Special moments like these restore hope for our youth, giving them the opportunity to be celebrated in a safe, welcoming, and caring environment.

05/12/2026

A recent visit to Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks gave our youth the opportunity to connect with nature as they trekked through Sac Canyon and up Starved Rock. In between balancing on logs and gazing upward at a bald eagle, the young hikers practiced mindfulness, using their senses to describe what they saw and heard. This grounding exercise not only helps build their coping skills, but it also reinforces the benefits of enjoying the great outdoors!

Skills such as mindfulness help youth of all ages cope with stress in the moment. Learn more about mindfulness skills to practice with your family at https://buff.ly/ZIX144a

05/08/2026

Accompanied by Safe Harbor School teacher Ms. Andrea, our Transitions students shopped for vegetable plants at the Woldhuis Farms Sunrise Greenhouse in Grant Park, wondering what they'd grow in their garden this year. As they learned about plants and working in a greenhouse, they decided to raise a variety of seedlings from beets to banana peppers. Now, they're wondering when the night frosts will cease! We are excited to see our students develop their green thumbs this growing season!

04/29/2026

Every other week, youth in our Transitions class learn about the basic concept of supply and demand when they roll out the Eagle’s Nest Coffee and Donut Cart. This pop-up shop helps the youth build their customer service skills with each "thank you" and wish for a nice day. Our staff members clearly appreciate the perks of helping the youth grow their career skills and confidence with each cup of coffee!