Peoria County Government

The importance of reliable internet access became undeniable during the pandemic, when access shifted from being a luxury to a necessity for daily life. In response to this, Peoria County has launched a Digital Equity Pilot program, designed to provide low-cost or no-cost internet access to eligible low-income households.?The program aims to help residents secure high-speed internet for essential activities such as remote work, online learning, and telehealth services. Led by Peoria County’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Unit, the program was developed in collaboration with the Information & Technology Working Group of the City/County Joint Commission on Racial Justice and Equity. Peoria County has partnered with leading internet providers - Mediacom, Comcast, Tel-Star Communications, and Mid Century Fiber - to offer packages that meet federal standards, ensuring speeds of at least 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload. The pilot will run for 12 months and is available to households in Peoria County.?Residents can review the full eligibility requirements and apply online at www.peoriacounty.gov/DEI?

Peoria County's Juvenile Detention Center offers a unique opportunity for individuals to finish up their college coursework, gain valuable career experience, and get their tuition paid for while working as a Youth Development Specialist. Our Youth Development Specialists are responsible for the safety, care, and counseling of the center's residents, providing them with a secure, structured environment. The starting salary is $50,813 + signing bonus, performance, and shift differential pay opportunities. Students must be at least 21 years old. Preferred majors include criminal justice, psychology, sociology, social work, or related fields. All are invited to find out more about our benefits and apply at https://lnkd.in/eYFJJGhJ.

The DEI Unit’s October Lunch and Learn highlighted Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Think Pink: Educate, Empower, and Advocate! Navigating Breast Cancer Awareness Together! Thank you to everyone who presented and was apart of our panel discussion

The road to success begins right here in Peoria County, especially with the benefits we're excited to supply for our team members. One of those benefits is our recent partnership with Savi, a financial wellness benefit to keep student loans on track. The program helps our team members save money on monthly payments, create a clear path to apply for student loan forgiveness programs, and provide answers to all student loan questions. For team members who have been with us for years to those just starting out, be sure to take a look at peoriacounty.bysavi.com If you're looking now for how you can commit to serving all and stay on your road to success, explore what we offer! We currently have an opening for a Juvenile Probation Officer requesting a bachelor's degree in sociology, psychology, or a related study plus placement on the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) non-supervisory approved eligibility list. See other specifications and apply at peoriacounty.gov/jobs , plus find all our other available positions.

Team members here at Peoria County had the pleasure of meeting Josh Balk, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, for a hands-on Lunch & Learn event demonstrating how to stop life-threatening bleeding by packing wounds with cloth, applying pressure with bandaging, and using a tourniquet. “Stop the Bleed” is a national training program with the goal of improving survival rates in injured victims by training potential bystanders. While aspects of this training are typically associated with first responders and medical personnel, this event was hosted at the Courthouse and open to any interested members of Peoria County government.

Congratulations to NFW on being named a finalist for the Earthshot Prize! We are proud to have them as an innovator in our community.

National Hispanic Heritage Month 2024 has begun, recognized annually from September 15 to October 15. To commemorate the experiences, culture, and history of the Hispanic community, Peoria County's Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion hosted a Lunch & Learn session for all team members in the County Board Room at the Courthouse. Christell Frausto, Vice President of the Greater Peoria Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, opened the session with a presentation on workforce development, entrepreneurship, and diversity within the Hispanic community, followed by Carolina Huser, Visionary Society & Development Manager at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, who spoke on Hispanic art and its significance to culture, family, and history. The third speaker was Peoria City/County Health Department's very own WIC Lead Assistant Daniela Gardner discussing the importance of availability of resources in Spanish and some of the resources provided locally. The program concluded with a Q&A panel consisting of the three speakers plus Cesar Vargas, Co-Founder and Board Member of the GPHCC; the panel was moderated by Peoria County DEI's Brittany Graves. Lunch was provided for team members and presenters from Casa de Arte. Thank you to everyone involved in the planning and execution of such a terrific program!

The Trillium Place Young Minds Center has officially cut the ribbon on their new facility in West Peoria! The youth mental health facility will offer counseling and crisis services for patients ages 4 to 18, and will bring quite a bit to the community by increasing inpatient beds, adding intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programming, and increasing outpatient clinical services. Trillium Place (part of the not-for-profit organization Carle Health) is looking forward to moving into the space within the next few weeks. Peoria County is proud to have been included in the opening ceremony and facility tours — pictured here is County Chairperson James Dillon, Regional Office of Education Superintendent Beth Crider, Assistant Superintendent George McKenna, and Sheriff Chris Watkins. Also in attendance were County Board Members Jennifer Groves Allison and Steve Rieker, County Administrator Scott Sorrel, County Health Administrator Monica Hendrickson, and State’s Attorney Jodi Hoos.

Peoria County approved of an official flag in 2022, and now that we’re coming upon our bicentennial anniversary in January 2025, we’ve started reaching out to local councils and trustee boards within the County to thank them for the past two centuries of service with a gift of a County flag for their meeting spaces to carry us into the next two hundred years. Many of the communities that comprise Peoria County have been a part of the area for nearly as long as the County itself. The flag distribution initiative soft-launched in November of last year when Board Member Danny Phelan presented a flag to the Village of Peoria Heights to celebrate their 150th Anniversary – from there, we’ve since gifted flags to Kingston Mines, Peoria, Limestone Township, Dunlap, Kickapoo Township, Bartonville, and Bellevue, each being presented by the Board Members that represent their respective districts. As the calendar begins to wind down, we’re finding our way to every government meeting space before the year ends so every township, city, and village knows our gratitude for the work they perform and that we recognize how they got us to where we are today. To learn more about the County flag and its history, visit peoriacounty.gov/1232 and keep an eye on your local government agendas for County flag presentations in your community throughout the rest of 2024.

On Thursday, the Peoria City/County Civic Leadership Academy kicked off at the Courthouse for its 2024 season. CLA is a multi-week program designed to educate on the functions of local government by giving participants the opportunity to step into the facilities used every day by officials and have direct conversation with those dedicated to public service. This week's program was hosted by County Administrator Scott Sorrel and Peoria County Board Chairperson James C. Dillon, who together gave participants a "County Government 101" through discussion on the different roles played by Peoria County departments, the procedures through which Board decisions are made, a few of the things that we DON'T do (as compared to state or municipal governments), and even a mock board session serving as a conduit for Q&A on recent headlining topics. CLA will be continuing throughout autumn with stops at other public offices in the area. While registration for the 2024 session is now closed, visit peoriacounty.gov/448 to learn more about the program and stay tuned for next year's registration!