Mayor Johnson announces reopening of 3 Chicago mental health clinics
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The mayor called it a win Thursday, fulfilling a campaign promise to reopen some of the mental health clinics shut down across the city.
"We are certainly thrilled to announce the expansion of our city's mental health system," said Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Three new public mental health clinics are coming to Chicago by the end of the year – one in Roseland on the city's Far South Side, another in conjunction with Chicago's Lower West Side clinic in Pilsen, and the third at the Legler Regional Library in West Garfield Park on the West Side.
"Other administrations chose to close mental health services and mental health facilities," said Mayor Johnson.
The move fulfills a campaign promise the mayor made – to reinstate public health clinics closed under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration. At the time, Mayor Emanuel claimed the city had increased services by working with private agencies instead.
Before the closures, the city had 12 clinics. Mayor Emanuel closed half.
Altogether, Chicago went from having 19 clinics at one point to five currently.
"Being brown or being Black in the city of Chicago is not a reason why you will be deprived of the resources that you need," said Dr. Olusimbo "Simbo" Ige, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. "That is the story today."
In conjunction with the clinics, the Johnson administration promises to phase the Chicago Police and Fire Department out of the Crisis Assistance, Response and Engagement program (C.A.R.E.), which was introduced by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to join together behavioral health professionals and the city's 911 system.
"Because our police officers and firefighters deserve to focus on holding criminals accountable and putting out fires - and not responding to mental health crisis - this is just simply the right and the smart thing to do," said Mayor Johnson.
It was unclear Wednesday how all of this will be paid for in the long term.
This year, the city said its initial budget of over $21 million will come from grants, the city's corporate fund, and capital funds. But the cost of the initiative is expected to increase each year – with an expected budget gap of almost $20 million by 2027.
But this is a price tag the mayor and supporters say is worth the result.
"To keep people alive – and that is the most important thing," said Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd). "That is our task."
The city said it has already hired 19 people to staff the three clinics, and plans to open the West Garfield Park and Pilsen locations by the end of the summer.