​Kane County Social Worker Support

​​Hours: Monday - Friday, 7  a.m. ​- 5 p.m. | Emergency Calls 24/7
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Trauma Intervention/Advocacy

Any case involving trauma where you feel the person(s) could use assistance/advocacy: victims of assaults, robbery, and other violent crimes. Also advocacy for the elderly and support regarding family concerns. ​

Crisis Intervention

Crisis support for concerns that may involve: mental health, substance abuse, domestic abuse, domestic disputes, and neighbor disputes.

Grief Support

Connection for grief counseling for incidents that may result in death such as: fatal car crashes, accidental deaths, suicide, homicide, and the unexpected.

Additional Support

Additional support and advocacy for: residential fires, natural disasters,  and general crisis/well-being concerns.

Collaborative Approach

This program is designed to be a collaborative approach between law enforcement and social worker.

Emergency Referral

Referrals to emergency services for immediate assistance will be made by a social worker on the scene.

Non-Emergency Referrals

Initial contact will be made with person(s) in crisis over the phone, within 24 hours.

For more information, please contact Desiree Avitia, LCSW.

Desi (Desiree) Avitia, LCSW
Lead Social Worker
Contact: 630.444.3374

Desi received her Master of Social Work in May 2019 from Aurora University and specialized in child welfare. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who is certified in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills and is 60 hours trained in Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Desi has extensive experience working with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and providing mediation to families/individuals. She is qualified in providing crisis intervention and de-escalation strategies. Desi joined the Kane County Sheriff’s Office as a social worker in March 2021 and is currently a member of Kane County Hoarding Task Force, APSS (Association of Police Social Services), Kane County Veterans Suicide Prevention Task Force, Kane County Major Crimes Task Force, Kane County Negotiations Response Team and Multidisciplinary Team (MDT). 

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Brenna Russell, BA in Psychology
Social Work
Contact: 630.208.2041​

Brenna began as a social worker intern for the Kane County Sheriff's Office in August of 2021. She was then hired on as a full-time social worker in March of 2022. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Social Work from the University of Dayton in May of 2021. Brenna is working toward her Master of Social Work with a specialization in forensics and addictions. She is projected to graduate by May 2023. Brenna plans to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and obtain her Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor License (CADC). She is interested in crisis intervention and utilizing trauma-informed care. She is certified in SCM-De-escalation and CANS-Trauma: A Functional Assessment Strategy. She has experience providing services in various mental health settings and has extensive experience working with individuals who are experiencing grief and co-occurring disorders in youth and adults. She is currently a member of the Kane County Suicide Prevention Task Force.