The Child & Adolescent Local Area Network (C & A LAN) 65, commonly known in the community as LAN 65, is now updating its Resource Guide and offering its 2002-2003 edition. It contains a directory of services offered in the ten communities that this LAN serves. We continue to work on making the LAN known to parents and community providers, on improving this Resource Guide, and on making it more user friendly by incorporating feedback given by the community. The Resource Guide offers listings by communities, by services, and by alphabetical order of providers.

This year we were able to place this Resource Guide on the www.systemofcareillinois.org web page, under LAN 65. Updates will now be kept there, as well as other LAN 65 information (i.e. committees and minutes from meetings). It has been exciting to use technology to improve communication and to facilitate locating resources. We hope that you will check this web page and use these resources.

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Department of Children of Family Services, which continues to fund our two Support Specialists. Without them we would not have been able to expand our LAN resources. We also want to acknowledge the staff of the State Technical Assistance Team (STAT), for their enthusiastic help with LAN tasks, particularly facilitating the utilization of the web page.

As always, we continue to support the mission of the LAN, which entails increased communication between parents and providers; identifying gaps in services in the community; and advocating for enhanced services to families.

Our different committee members have continued to work hard, and I am very thankful for their continued involvement. For several years now, they volunteer their time on behalf of children and families. I am also appreciative of my two co-conveners, Robin Levine (Jewish Children' s Bureau) and Andrea Kuebbeler (Alternatives Inc.), who continue to support the LAN and who collaborate on the leadership of this LAN.

I hope this Resource Guide is helpful.

Viviana Ploper, Co-Convener LAN 65

Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4)