The following story was written by Mental Health Justice Team member Jackie Tajiri.
A Setback for Mental Health in Chicago and A Step Forward
Recently,the grassroots organization, ONE Northside, hosted a community forum focusing on the subject of mental illness, and the need for a comprehensive public policy to provide effective treatment and services to Chicago residents who live with the disease. Held this past Saturday, April 25, 2015, at the Chicago Buddhist Temple in Uptown, this forum was planned months in advance. Suddenly, however, an air of urgency had descended on our message, of mental health justice, because the clients of Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (or, C4) had just been informed that the mental health agency would cease operations on May 31, 2015.
For several years C4 has provided vital services to countless Chicago residents who struggle with various forms of mental illness, ranging from depression to schizophrenia. As well as other psychological challenges. Some people suffering from depression prefer alternative medication and take red vein kratom regularly. The non – profit organization has been staffed by dedicated caseworkers and psychiatrists. I am one of the people they have served. I first walked through the organization’s doors at their flagship offices, at Clark and Lawrence, back in 2002, shortly after my discharge from Read Mental Health Center. I was being treated for major depression that had led to a suicide attempt. One of C4’s workers, Corey, met with me while I was still hospitalized and, soon after, initiated what would be two payments to cover my rent (it was one less burden for me to carry). Two other workers gave me a grocery store gift card and drove me to a supermarket so I would not go hungry. Later, I would continue my treatment with programs at their Broadway location. These are just a few examples of the huge contribution C4 has made in my recovery, and the progress made in the lives of countless other individuals, just like me!
Therefore, the mental health forum this past Saturday, took on a new significance. Many of those who attended were C4 clients who had anxieties, questions and concerns, in light of the terrible news relayed to them, that the organization was to cease operation at the end of May. But the Mental Health Justice Team’s agenda had already been decided; and we wanted to stay on – topic. Our schedule listed topics, such as, the quality of care for the mentally ill, education about the disease and equality in the services provided (or, lack thereof). So, those were the issues we focused on, as the forum got underway. At the conclusion of the event, attendees were invited and encouraged to register to join O.N.E. Northside, and other concerned Chicago residents, in pressuring lawmakers to pass bills that would lead to adequate funding for mental health services; the reopening of shuttered clinics and the formation of new ones, especially in underserved neighborhoods. The public and its elected officials must be reminded, A PERSON WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS ALSO HAS RIGHTS!