The Chicago Department of Public Health is expanding its mental health safety net and launching a street psychiatry pilot program backed by a $16.2 million investment, CBS News reported April 28.
The city’s Mental Health Equity Initiative partner network enrolled more than 173,000 new clients between 2020 and 2025. The next phase, the Healthy Chicago Mental Health Collective, will build on that effort.
The expansion includes 53 new partner organizations to broaden behavioral health services, particularly among high-need communities and populations prone to service gaps.
The program will deploy services across nonclinical and community-based settings, including schools, public transit, libraries and food pantries, alongside traditional clinic-based care.
A street psychiatry team will provide care in the field for individuals experiencing serious mental illness, substance use disorder and homelessness “who are difficult to reach through traditional pathways,” according to the report.
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