MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES HAVE LONG CALLED FOR THE CITY TO REESTABLISH 19 OF THE CITY OPERATED MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY CLOSED CHICAGO.

CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR HAVE CAMPAIGNED ON THE PROMISE TO DO SO.

LAST MONTH, MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON STARTED MAKING GOOD ON THAT PROMISE.

ANNOUNCING PLANS TO REOPEN THE ROSELAND HEALTH CLINIC AND PHASE OUT POLICE INVOLVEMENT IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISES.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ON THE MAYOR'S PLAN AND WHAT EFFECTS IT MIGHT HAVE ARE NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES PROFESSOR IN GROUP SIGLER COMEY SHOULD JONES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SYSTEM A COMMUNITIES STRATEGY SPECIALISTS CANDICE COLEMAN FROM THE ORGANIZATION ACCESS LIVING AND KATHLEEN GUAVA WITH THE CHICAGO FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US.

I WANT TO START FIRST IF I COULD WITH ALL OF YOU IN GETTING YOUR REACTION TO MAYOR JOHNSON'S PLANS TO REOPEN THOSE PREVIOUSLY CLOSED HEALTH CLINICS A YEAR.

LET'S START WITH THE POLICE.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S CERTAINLY ENOUGH UNMET IN THE CITY TO GO AROUND.

AND SO ANY EFFORTS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE MORE SERVICES TO OUR RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY AND TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IS AN IMPORTANT ONE.

BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM THEIR ESTIMATED 300,000 PEOPLE ACROSS OUR CITY THAT HAVE ON THAT MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONSIDER HOW THE REOPENINGS OF THESE 3 CLINICS ARE IS GOING APPROPRIATELY ARE PERHAPS NOT QUITE MEET THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

CANDACE, IN QUESTION TO YOU, IS IT NECESSARY TO HAVE PUBLICLY MENTAL STAR, YOUR SAME QUESTION.

IT NECESSARY TO HAVE THIS PUBLICLY OPERATED HEALTH CLINICS RUN BY THE CITY?

YES, BELIEVE THAT THE MORE OPTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO OPEN UP ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES IS NEEDED.

I KNOW FOR MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THE CLOSING OF THE MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS THAT THEY'RE STILL TRUST.

THAT NEEDS TO BE BILL.

BUT WE CITY IN TERMS OF LIKE THEIR INVESTMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THESE MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS.

BUT I BELIEVE IT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

KATHLEEN.

ANY INVESTMENT IN MENTAL HEALTH IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

BUT I THINK THE POINTS MADE HERE ARE SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU WE HAVE TO INTENTIONAL APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM AND UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE OF IT.

AND REALLY IT CAN'T JUST BE CERTAIN FIELDS INVOLVED IN THAT.

I REALLY BELIEVE IT'S A BIG SYSTEMIC PROBLEM.

AND WE NEED TO TAKE A VERY INTENTIONAL APPROACH HISTORICALLY ONE THAT WE HAVEN'T TAKEN HISTORICALLY.

SO.

THAT'S WHAT I WOULD OK, THIS WAS YOUR REACTION.

SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE THIS IS LITERALLY WHAT THE PEOPLE WANTED.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN ADVOCATED FOR FOR MANY YEARS.

ARMY ARE REALLY LISTENED.

IMPLEMENTING THE COMMUNITY HAS EXPORT.

DO YOU THINK RELYING ON PRIVATE NONPROFIT FUNDER STUFF AND THIS EXPANSION WILL BE ENOUGH.

I THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT AS OVERARCHING INVESTMENT IN THE CASINO CARE FOR MENTAL HEALTH.

I KNOW FUNDING IS A BIG PART OF THE CONVERSATION, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT.

WHAT PEOPLE NEED WITH WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE AND HOW DO WE ADDRESS AND SO IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEY NEED TO SAY.

IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM THE FUNDS RATE.

IT'S KIND OF THINK ABOUT A COUPLE THAT WOULD COME FROM MAKING THIS KIND OF INVESTMENT.

YES, ANGER PART OF MAYOR JOHNSON'S PROMISES, OF COURSE, TO PHASE POLICE RESPONSE TO MENTAL HEALTH CRISES INSTEAD THE ALTERNATE RESPONSE TEAMS WOULD DOUBLE IN SIZE AND BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THOSE CALLS.

TELL TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT.

PLEASE.

YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT IS INVOLVED IN MENTAL HEALTH CALLS, THAT THAT CAN LEAD TO A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

WHEN YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND THE SYMPTOMS THAT ARE PRESENTING IN THAT PARTICULAR MOMENT THAT CAN EXACERBATE THE CRISIS IN THE 2.

DANGER FOR BOTH THE INDIVIDUAL AS WELL AS THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING INVOLVED AS WELL AS KIND OF INCREASING THAT PIPELINE OF PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS ENDING UP IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AS OPPOSED TO GETTING THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.

SO I THINK BY INVOLVING A SOCIAL WORKERS OR MENTAL HEALTH STAFF THAT ARE APPROPRIATELY TRAINED TO NOT ONLY UNDERSTAND THE SYMPTOMS THAT ARE PRESENTING IN THE MOMENT, BUT TRAINED IN DE-ESCALATION PRACTICES IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED, BUT ALSO IN THAT CONTINUUM OF THAT'S BEEN COMMISSION, YOU SAW A NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE ACCESS SPECIFICALLY FOR BLACK HOW DOES MENTAL ILLNESS SHOW UP DIFFERENTLY IN THAT DEMOGRAPHIC IN OUR DEMOGRAPHIC?

YEAH, I THINK BLACK WOMEN EXPERIENCE MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AND CONCERNS THAT ALL WOMEN EXPERIENCE, BUT THEY MAY HAVE A GREATER INTENSITY OR GREATER SEVERITY.

SOME OF THE THINGS THAT IMPACT BLACK WOMEN DIFFERENTLY.

OUR POVERTY DISCRIMINATION AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES GREATLY IMPACT WOMEN'S ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS SERVICES AND ALSO TO RECEIVE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE CARE.

I ALSO THINK SOMETIMES BLACK WOMEN ARE MISDIAGNOSED FOR MORE SEVERE MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS AND THAT MS DIAGNOSIS CAN LEAD TO GAPS IN TREATMENT.

SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I SEE THAT ARE DIFFERENT.

AND THEN I WOULD ALSO SAY DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND TRAUMA.

THE MOST COMMON MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS THAT BLACK WOMEN EXPERIENCE IN BLACK WOMEN HAVE HIGHER RATES OF CRIME.

VICTIMIZATION AND ALSO ASSAULT AND DOMESTIC VICTIMS.

SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT IMPACT BLACK WOMEN DIFFERENTLY.

AND ALSO THE COMBINATION OF THOSE STRESSORS ALL HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME.

KATHLEEN, TELL US IF YOU WOULD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU DO IT.

CHICAGO FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE YOU HAVE A PRETTY DIVERSE TEAM OF PROVIDERS THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION.

ABSOLUTELY.

OUR PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE SOLUTIONS, MENTAL HEALTH INSIDE OF THE AND I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH WHAT PEERS HERE SAID ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF INTENTIONAL AND QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR RECEIVING SERVICES THAT THEY GET ADVERSE EXPERIENCE AND THEY'RE EVEN FURTHER TURNED OFF.

SO WE PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL THERAPY SERVICES.

FAMILY THERAPY IS A HUGE SERVICE.

WE PROVIDE.

WE'RE IN THE SCHOOLS ON A SHIP, SOUTHWEST SIDE OF CHICAGO.

AND WE ALSO ALSO HAVE AN OUTPATIENT LOCATION AT 79TH IN RACINE, AND WERE AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY.

SO WE TRY TO PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE CARE.

WE ALSO DO PREVENTION WORK.

DO DIFFERENT THINGS TO RETURN TO UPLIFT AND SUPPORT.

NOT ONLY THE COMMUNITIES, PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITIES, BUT BOTH LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY IS TRYING TO MAKE THEIR COMMUNITIES BETTER.

I'M CANDICE, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TREATMENT TRAUMA CAMPAIGN FROM THE COLLABORATIVE FOR COMMUNITY WELLNESS SEEKING TO CREATE 24 OUR MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS HOTLINE.

HOW MIGHT A RESOURCE LIKE THIS SORT OF MITIGATE THE DANGERS OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS?

WELL, OFTENTIMES ONE, THE TIMING OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS ISN'T KNOWN.

YOU.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE PRESS GOT CRISIS.

SO ONE OF THE WAYS THAT YOU CAN MITIGATE IS HAVING ACCESS TO SERVICES AND SUPPORT POINT TIME.

THE SECOND THING IS TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY POINT OF ENTRY YOU CAN GET ACCESS CARE.

AND EQUAL TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE.

IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU CAN VIEW ON ONE SIDE OF THE CITY ORDINANCE THE CITY AND HAVING TRAVEL TO OR FROM TO GET THERE.

USUALLY EXACERBATES THE SITUATION IS SO CREATE ACCESS POINTS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR WE'RE ALMOST OUT OF TIME.

BUT I MEAN, IS THERE MORE THAT YOU THINK THE IN THE STATE COULD BE DOING TO SUPPORT THE WORK ALL OF YOU ARE ARE COLLECTIVELY DOING.

COMMISSIONED TO COME TO YOU FOR THAT ONE.

I THINK INVESTED FINANCIALLY IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT SO THAT THE SERVICES CAN BE SUSTAINED REGARDLESS OF WHO'S IN OFFICE.

BUT I ALSO THINK THERE'S A MISSING LINK BETWEEN COORDINATION OF CARE AND THERE ARE MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING GREAT WORK.

A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE CAN LOOKING LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH.

BUT WHAT I FOUND IS THAT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES.

THE COURT, A NATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE SHARING IN THE CONNECTION IN THE AWARENESS THAT DESERVES, YOU KNOW, JUST AS MUCH ATTENTION IS FUNDING.

SEE A LOT OF NODDING HEADS AROUND THE CORONATION OF CARE SO I SUSPECT THAT MEANS YOU ALL AGREE THAT WILL HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.

THANKS ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US.

SECULAR COMMISSION JONES, CANDICE