Oak Park village trustees reviewed statistics outlining the impact of one of its new social service intervention program one year into the pilot program’s existence.
Trustees heard about the operations of the village’s Engaging Community For Healthy Outcomes program, otherwise known as ECHO. Launched in February 2025, the two-year pilot program was created to provide social service support to people in the at risk community. In year one, the bulk of the program’s work centered on engaging with the village’s homeless population or others experiencing housing issues, people experiencing behavioral health challenges and Oak Park’s senior population, according to the program’s presentation to the board.
The presentation was led by Vanessa Matheny, Oak Park’s community services manager, who’s overseen ECHO’s launch.
A little over half of ECHO’s client referrals came from other village departments, primarily the Oak Park Police Department and the Oak Park Fire Department. Another 30% of the program’s total referrals came from Oak Park residents seeking help for themselves or someone in their lives.
“I think that is a reflection of residents understanding that we are a resource to them,” Matheny said.
Those resident referrals represent an area where the ECHO program has begun to lighten the burden on Oak Park’s emergency services, according to Oak Park Fire Chief JT Terry.
“What we need to recognize that that is a reduction, what that exact number is still tough to work through,” Terry told the board. “Having this program is a safety net that prevents people from getting to the point where they need help.”
Trustee Jenna Leving Jacobson said she’d made an ECHO referral a few months ago and felt very satisfied with the team’s response. “I thought it was a very thorough and helpful answer,” she said. “It seems to me that in the short time of operation, the large success that we are seeing is a lot to do in part to your understanding and deep understanding of your connections to the community and resources and new landscapes.”
Matheny began her presentation by thanking the village board.
“I just want to start the presentation and take a moment to say thank you to the board for your support,” Matheny said. “Your vision has allowed ECHO to be a connector filling gaps and support Oak Park residents in a way that we have not necessarily seen before.”
The program was first approved a year ago via a unanimous vote at a June 2024 board meeting, in which trustees gave the greenlight for the pilot program to enter its first phase. The program was billed as providing alternative responses to issues without involving police officers amid “community calls for a reimagining of public safety,” according to a board presentation last year.
The program’s development followed a 2022 study by consultant group BerryDunn that the village commissioned to help outline a vision for alternatives to police response in Oak Park.
The village gave the program continued support over its first year of existence, bringing Mary Naughton on over the summer in a role as the program manager for ECHO. The program was launched last winter with the hiring of two care coordinators — Maxie Moses and Kimberly Smith.
Most recently, Naughton served as the director of a community treatment program, where she led a multidisciplinary team providing intensive, community-based behavioral health services to individuals living with severe and persistent mental illness, according to the village.
According to the board presentation, ECHO responded to over 700 calls for service in 2025, with the program now receiving about 80 calls per month. The team is looking to respond to at least 1,300 calls in 2026.
“I appreciate all the work that is going into it and I think it is really cool to see just where this has grown from the idea to where we are today with this,” said Trustee Chibuike Enyia. “I’m definitely proud and happy to see the amount of people that are able to get service.”
The village board will hear more about “Phase 2” of the pilot program at a meeting in the coming weeks.
