Uncovering injustice through in-depth, community focused reporting. The Social Justice News Nexus explores issues of crucial impact in our communities through innovative reporting, critical reflection and building connections between student reporters and professional journalists. This promo video encapsulates what we have produced in the 2014-15 cycle.
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Chicago public mental Health clinics by the numbers
In 2012 the Chicago Department of Public Health closed six of its 12 public mental health clinics, generating massive outcry and the occupation of one clinic. The public clinics have continued to be a prominent issue, including in the 2015 mayoral race.
Client Loads and Staffing levels at Chicago’s Public Mental Health Clinics (January 2011 and present).
Click each point for more information. Regarding staffing, CT refers to Clinical Therapist and AA refers to Administrative Assistant. Map is based on data obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests by the Social Justice News Nexus (SJNN) at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
More on this map, please visit SJNN blog. Map by Penny Yi Wang. Text by Kari Lydersen. Also published April 27, 2015 on Chicago Reporter.
Read more "Chicago public mental Health clinics by the numbers"Mental health advocates march to demand rights
Mental health advocates marched in the Chicago winter chill on Feb 5th. The organizing team is part of the Mental Health Movement, which works with both mental health service providers and customers to lobby and improve the state of mental health services in Chicago.
Almost three years ago, the city closed six public mental health clinics. The march, which took place while the last mayoral debate was going on at ABC 7 studio downtown, aimed to educate candidates about the value of public mental health clinics to low income and minority communities.
Advocates also proposed their vision for Chicago’s public mental health services in the next years. They urged the city council to open or reopen two clinics each year for four years to establish a safety net for the mentally ill across the city.
“It would only cost each taxpayer 25 cents a month to keep the clinics open,” said N’Dana Carter, an activist with the Movement. “It is affordable and desperately needed service.”
In addition, members of the march demanded greater educational effort from the Public Health Department to let people know that there are accessible resources in their communities when they are feeling depressed or anxious.
[A version of this blog post is on Social Justice News Nexus; More photos on flickr]
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Penny Yi Wang 