The CII Advisor is experienced with both the degree program and the needs of the chronically ill, and is available to explain the program, help with administrative requirements and serve as a point of contact for any illness related issue.

Paula Kravitz has an MSW from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has been employed by the Illinois Department of Mental Health and several not for profit agencies where she gained skill in clinical therapy, teaching, program development and administration.

“My personal and professional life have given me many opportunities to work with people struggling to live with chronic illness. I understand that they travel down the road of life exhausted, have to face many challenges and frustrations, and are so often misunderstood. I know that it is a constant struggle to have to cope with uncomfortable and painful symptoms that just don’t go away and painful to experience brief periods of “wellness” that disappear quickly for no apparent reason. I know, too, that often symptoms are invisible, and family, friends and employers have the same expectations for people with chronic illness as they would have for a “healthy” person. As an advisor in the CII, I would like to create an atmosphere that helps persons with chronic illness feel understood and emotionally supported so that they might realize their dream of obtaining an education.”