Kevin Polky, LCSW
With more than 34 years of experience under his belt, Kevin Polky is amply qualified to oversee Four Corners Wellness Center, ltd. as both the founder and executive director. He is a licensed clinical social worker, certified alcohol and drug counselor, certified school social worker, and executive coach. Kevin is former competitive athlete (football, wrestling and track) and a teenage state, national bodybuilding champion and personal trainer. After retiring from competitive athletics in 1990, he took the attributes that lead him to being successful in sports to help others specifically struggling with addictions and mental illness. He then turned his focus toward working in the schools as a school social worker, football, and strength/conditioning coach.
In 2001, he founded and served as the executive director of kp counseling which is the largest counseling agencies in Northern Illinois. In 2015, he sold kp counseling to develop a multi-state counseling company called Crestview later Refresh Mental Health and then later owned and managed by Optum Behavioral Health where he served as the executive director of Illinois and Wisconsin until 2024.
In 2010, Kevin founded Four Corners Wellness Center, inc. original providing counseling, chiropractic, massage and reflexology services along with exercise and nutritional coaching which then evolved into a company that produces workshops and trainings, business consulting, and executive coaching.
In 2016, Kevin founded Shatter Our Silence a not-for-profit company to increase awareness and educate on the factors that lead to suicide in young adults due to the increase in young adult suicides in greater Rockford area.
In 2019, he launched his weekly podcast “Kevin Polky-The Journey” based on stories and conversations with individuals regarding their journey of transformation from setbacks to soaring and became the hero of their own journey.
Kevin has written or co-authored several different leadership programs: Working with Disruptive Students I and II – 32 hrs., Solution-Focused Safety Program (developing a safety culture within a manufacturing/industrial environment) – 32 hrs., Striving for Excellence (developing a culture of excellence within the industrial environment) – 16 hrs., Impact of Young Adult Suicide and What We Can — 6 hrs., SISU-Developing Resilience — 3 hrs., Caring for the Care-Giver — 3 hrs., Order-Disorder- Reorder: Preparing for the Re-Order of COVID-19 – 3 hrs., and Managing Stress and Developing Resilience — 3 hrs., Youth Mental Health Crisis: Impact of Social Media – 3 hrs., Living the Hero’s Journey – 3hrs., Finding Meaning Amid Hopelessness – 3 hrs.
Currently, Kevin focuses on developing and overseeing Four Corners Wellness Center which provides a variety of services that concentrate on developing the whole person in the areas of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritually well-being. He offers individual and group counseling, executive coaching, business consulting, leadership development and seminars and workshops for schools, business, and non-profits.
He volunteers at local schools and churches, teaching youth and adult classes on a variety of psycho-
social-spiritual material. Kevin’s favorite activities outside of leading Four Corners Wellness Center and
Shatter Our Silence include spending time with family, exercising, supporting the arts, reading, and
enjoying God’s presence through nature.