1 year after mental health clinic closures protesters tell Mayor Emanuel “It’s time to heal Chicago”

Mental Health Movement asks Mayor to replace retiring therapists, re-open closed clinics, work on plan to heal Chicago

 

 While violence in Chicago is at record highs, mental health services to deal with the trauma – especially for the uninsured – are at record lows. One year ago Mayor Rahm Emanuel closed 6 of Chicago’s 12 public mental health clinics, now his administration is refusing to replace 3 retiring therapists, leading many to wonder if he is sabotaging the remaining 6 clinics to later justify their closure.

On the one year anniversary of the first clinic closures, people who went to the closed clinics and other mental health advocates will hold a rally outside of Mayor Emanuel’s office to demand he: • Replace retiring therapists • Re-open the 6 closed mental health clinics • Meet with the Mental Health Movement to discuss a plan to Heal Chicago.

Patients, advocates, and supporters of Chicago’s mental health clinics will hold a rally and press conference, on the anniversary of mental health clinic closures, today, April 9th at 11 a.m., in front of the Mayor’s Office, 5th floor of City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle Ave. Patients, advocates, supporters of Chicago’s mental health clinics.

Speakers at the protest will include a woman who was recently hospitalized because since her clinic closed she has been unable to get the same level of mental health services, a woman who directs an organization of the formerly incarcerated who will point to the absurdity of Cook County Jail being the biggest mental health provider in the country, and other people affected by the clinic closures.

“People need to know that they’re not alone, people in our communities need a safe place where they can go to deal with their problems and get assistance not just physically but mentally. We should be expanding mental health clinics, not shutting them down,” says Wendell Smith, a Mental Health Movement member who will be speaking on Tuesday.

On April 9th, 2012, the Northwest Mental Health Clinic in Logan Square and the Northtown/Rogers Park Mental Health Clinic closed. On April 30th, the Auburn/Gresham, Woodlawn, Beverly/Morgan Park and Back of the Yards Mental Health Clinics closed. In addition to the 6 clinic closures, 40% of the staff was laid off. The City of Chicago clinics are the only place besides Cook County Jail where the uninsured can receive affordable mental health care. In addition to the city clinic closures, at least two non-profit clinics – the Counseling Center of Lakeview and the Community Mental Health Council – have also closed during the past year. The south side of the city, in particular, is a desert for mental health care.