A new 17,000-square-foot behavioral health services facility in West Garfield Park will open this summer.
Chicago’s Westside has a 17-year life expectancy gap compared to its Downtown counterpart, which extends to 25 years for those with chronic mental illness. Historic underinvestment in Chicago’s Westside community has long had a significant impact on the community’s health and the behavioral health needs of its residents, particularly the Black and Latino communities. With so many disparities, behavioral health organizations across the city are working together to bridge the gap and provide a continuum of services for both mental and physical health needs. One of these new partnerships is Collaborative Bridges. The Westside organization recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new wellness center in West Garfield Park (4223 W. Lake Street). More than 80 people attended the event, including elected leaders, allies, community members, and local partners. When complete, the 17,000-square-foot facility will provide mental health resources to the community and serve as a beacon of hope for people living with mental health illnesses and their families.
In his congratulations to Collaborative Bridges, Congressman Danny K. Davis (District 7) said, “The need for mental health services is one of the great needs that will continue to exist. Of all the things I have been involved in, nothing has been more rewarding than this network, this collaboration, this unity.”
Founded in 2022, Collaborative Bridges is a partnership between a historic safety-net hospital on Chicago’s west side and a local mental health agency designed to ensure care for people with mental health and substance use needs is supported in the community, especially after they are discharged from the hospital.
Founding members include Bobby E. Wright Comprehensive Behavioral Health, Humboldt Park Health, Habilitative Systems, Inc., The Loretto Hospital, Hartgrove Behavioral Health System and C4 Chicago. Collaborative Bridges is funded by the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services’ Healthcare Transformation Collaborative program. These organizations have more than 300 years of experience ensuring the delivery of comprehensive behavioral health and crisis response services in the West Chicago area.
“It’s really important to recognize the power of collaboration. We know that at the human services and community services level, there’s so much fragmentation, but when we come together to get things done, we can really get things done,” said Donald Dew, president and CEO of Habilitative Systems, Inc.
Set to open in late summer 2024, Collaborative Bridges Wellness Center in West Garfield Park will be a community that fosters recovery from behavioral health issues. When at capacity, the wellness center will employ 125 people and serve approximately 3,000 patients annually. Patients leaving the hospital will have a place to engage with Collaborative Bridges’ care team immediately after discharge, with services designed for patients who most frequently use the emergency room for their behavioral health needs.
Our current system of care has a 300% increase in suicide attempts within the first week of discharge, only 25% of behavioral health discharges receive aftercare support, and 40% of inpatient psychiatric patients are readmitted within the next year. Collaborative Bridges has reduced readmission rates to less than 10% through its services to date, and the Wellness Center continues to work to further reduce readmission rates.
When completed, the wellness center will have a large group room for community organizations to support social determinants of health needs and provide resources to the community. Additionally, there will be 18 therapy rooms and dedicated space for primary care and pharmacy services. By partnering with primary care and pharmacy providers, Collaborative Bridges will deliver comprehensive care. Collaborative Bridges will establish an empathetic space for individuals and families who have experienced crisis and are working to recover, fostering a healing environment that understands trauma and builds community support.
“Collaborative Bridges is dedicated to working with chronically rehospitalized populations. Our work is inherently tied to poverty, race and ethnicity. It’s fundamentally about recognizing the barriers and creating change with our partners. This space is part of the answer,” said Patrick Dombrowski, executive director of Collaborative Bridges. Collaborative Bridges is committed to transforming behavioral health services on Chicago’s West Side and fostering collaboration, compassion and community integration to create a brighter future.
For more information or to schedule services, please call 872-235-0777 or visit www.thecollaborativebridges.org.
