Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Thursday unveiled a long-awaited plan to expand the public’s access to mental health care in the city and reopen shuttered city clinics, fulfilling a campaign promise.
This year, the city plans to reopen the Roseland Mental Health Clinic and add mental health services to the city’s Pilsen Clinic and the Legler Regional Library in West Garfield Park.
“Mental health is not just an individual issue. It is a collective concern that touches every corner of our communities, from home to school to workplaces and beyond,” Johnson wrote in a report from a task force that has been studying ways to expand mental health services in Chicago.
Johnson has often spoken about his brother, Leon, who died with no place to live due to drug addiction.
The city also has the so-called CARE Alternative Response TeamIn these situations, emergency responders, mental health workers, and sometimes police officers trained in crisis response are called in as well as police officers. The goal is to help those struggling with mental health issues feel less stressed and get them the medical care they need.
A working group was formed last fall to study ways to expand public mental health services. Advocates such as the Collaborative for Community Wellness say There is a documented shortage of mental health providers. They see situations in which people across the city need help, such as long wait times to see a medical professional. Called for reopening mental health clinics run by the city of Chicago It was closed under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel more than a decade ago. Today, Five.
Emanuel’s successor, Lori Lightfoot, took a different approach, expanding access to mental health care by investing in dozens of private and nonprofit medical clinics that already provide it. Last year’s study Collaborating organization participants noted that there were still barriers to accessing care at some health centers.
Johnson Pledged He reopened the city’s psychiatric clinic in his first year in office. Evaluated On the state of mental health in the city. In his first budget, He has put in the money to reopen two clinics..
According to the Chicago Department of Public Health, more than 65% of Black and Latino Chicagoans with severe mental distress go untreated. Highest rate among Chicago residents The number of people who died by suicide between 2018 and 2022 has increased, especially among older adults and Black residents.
The working group came up with about 40 recommendations that serve as a roadmap for expanding access to mental health care, broadly including adding more services, improving and expanding non-police behavioral and mental health crisis responses and increasing community awareness of available mental health resources.
When we recently asked Chicagoans what they wanted from mental health care, most were unaware of any free mental health clinics in the city. According to a joint study.
In its report, the task force acknowledged a number of challenges. Competing with hospitals, private practices, and other organizations A shortage of mental health workers means they are already struggling to fill vacancies.
Maintaining and expanding mental health services is especially costly. As pandemic relief funds dry upWhile Chicago has provided health care through clinics for years, behavioral health crisis response is relatively new, the report said.
Kristen Schorsch covers public health and Cook County government for WBEZ. Tessa Weinberg covers city government and politics for WBEZ.
