>> We're sure of the residents struggling with mental health issues, access to traditional care, such as therapist or medication can be an obstacle.

For example, there are no psychiatric hospitals located on the south and West sides in partnership with Wt Tw News students from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism Explore alternative programs.

Here's Victoria Ryan.

>> On weekday mornings.

38 year-old Chris Wray can be found smiling and dancing with their peers at above and beyond Family Recovery Center.

Ray has been attending classes here since August.

She has struggled with depression and alcohol addiction since age 16 and is the single mother of a 20 year-old daughter.

>> I feel like in.

Recovery you really need to have compassion.

New people and people that honestly know what you've been through to actually do the job.

>> Above and beyond is a behavioral treatment center aimed a providing mental health support in addiction recovery in non-traditional ways.

What got me into this line of work is my addiction.

So I am an alcoholic and recovery.

>> And I've got 39 years drinking.

both CEO Dan Hostetler says the center relies on research and lived experience to customize programs.

>> We have art.

>> have music therapy.

We have yoga we have acupuncture.

These are all ways for people to reach inside themselves to celebrate themselves to realize how good they can feel how good they're allowed to feel about themselves.

>> Above and beyond aims to provide a positive treatment experience for everyone.

>> They're very polite.

Like if they feel like you need a higher level of care, they help you and they put you in there.

>> With grant funding and donations, the service is free allowing people to focus on recovery instead of finances.

>> So if we can help them, get them out of yourself, navigating their own lives based on their purpose and meaning that's perpetual that goes their whole life.

>> This is Ray's 3rd time in recovery, which had been stunted due to being incarcerated 3 times on battery charges.

>> My mental health definitely was Mandy and I went being engine.

>> Jess spy spiraled out of control and ultimately I end up going back to prison according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

2 out of 5 people who go to prison have a history of mental illness in 2021, the city of Chicago launched the Crisis Assistance Response and Prevention program for care.

It initially provided a team of both police and mental health responders.

When 9-1-1 was called.

However, the police presence caused some concern.

I think this kind of dangerous.

>> Because you have police offices need it like they're not like I say, educated mental health.

So they don't know how to handle that.

>> The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority says up to 10% of police citizen interactions involve mental health crises.

Additional research estimates that police are up to 5 times more likely to use force if a citizen has a mental health condition.

Police interaction during a mental health crisis in the summer of 2024. led to the shooting death of Sonya Massey in Springfield.

The Chicago program care remove police involvement in September 2024. and rolled out mobile support its not that its new that people go into crisis.

But how we respond to crisis is new.

>> an interaction with a trained professional during a crisis made a big difference.

One of offices, detectives, he was actually.

Specialize in mental health.

So he kind of talk to me to calm me down.

No.

>> Cares.

Plans to expand in 2025.

Have been put on hold due to the city's budget crisis.

However, programs like care and above and beyond are still trying to help Chicagoans the most rewarding part of my job.

I would say.

>> Ensuring that the people who need the help get the help that they need.

>> want to make the all of this available.

So all of this becomes standard.

>> Ray says her recovery goes beyond herself.

It's a chance for a future with her daughter as she graduates college.

>> We've been able to any of her graduations cause I was out.

always locked So to be at the college graduation.

>> This is a big deal for me.

going to be real happy about >> Or W T Tw and Northwestern's Medill School