Chestnut Health Systems Tells Jennifer's Story

GRANITE CITY, Ill., Dec. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Jennifer Kostoff, of Granite City, Illinois (Metro St. Louis) could have been one of the 64,000 Americans who died of a drug overdose in 2016. Exposed to substance use in her youth and experiencing significant trauma in her life, Jennifer was pregnant and addicted to heroin. With limited resources for her and her baby, Jennifer's persistence and desire to find a path to recovery led her to Chestnut Health Systems. Today, Jennifer is a wage-earning taxpayer, in active recovery, and a successful graduate of the Madison County (IL) Drug Court.  

Jennifer's struggle was featured in a Washington Post article last spring. http://wapo.st/2ATOAFs  

Determined more than ever to help others suffering from addiction and mental health disorders, Jennifer is joining with Chestnut Health Systems to tell her story and launch a GoFundMe page to provide access to services for individuals seeking treatment for substance use and mental health disorders. www.gofundme.com/JenniferforChestnut

With state support for services on the decline for most of the last decade, all funds raised by this GoFundMe effort will go toward providing substance use and mental health treatment for individuals who might otherwise sit on lengthy waiting lists that exist around the State of Illinois. National studies show that, to be effective, treatment must be available when individuals reach a critical juncture. The campaign launched by Jennifer and Chestnut is designed to save a life and, perhaps, many lives, by making treatment and safe living options available when and where they are needed. 

For more information or to schedule an interview with Jennifer, contact:
Jim Wallis at [email protected] 618.975.0188

Chestnut Health Systems is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization that has provided a broad array of behavioral health care services to residents in Central and Southern Illinois for four decades. Known throughout the state as one of the leading providers of substance use treatment and prevention, Chestnut also provides mental health counseling, primary health care, housing, credit counseling, substance use related research, training, and publications. www.chestnut.org

The Jennifer's Story video was produced by What Matters Production (www.WhatMattersProductions.com) a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to telling the stories of non-profits and making films that heal the world.

SOURCE Chestnut Health Systems

Related Links

http://www.chestnut.org