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Treating the symptoms

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Illinois

Chicago is bolstering its response to emergencies involving people suffering from mental illness to address glaring deficiencies laid bare by the Justice Department.

An eight-hour course developed in partnership with EMS System Hospitals will allow paramedics, 911 personnel, police officers and mental health providers to engage in live, “scenario-based” simulations at Fire Academy South, 1338 S. Clinton.

* OK, that’s a good idea. But no mention of this?…

It’s been more than [five] years since Mayor Rahm Emanuel ignited protests around the city by closing six mental health clinics in low-income, high-crime neighborhoods.

But if he has any second thoughts about his cuts, he sure isn’t showing it.

On the contrary, if last week’s brouhaha over City Council hearings on the clinics is any indication, the mayor is still reluctant to even discuss the matter.

So I’ll be the one to remind you that in the fall of 2011 he proposed closing six of the city’s 12 mental health clinics because—well, he didn’t really say.

He didn’t hold any hearings before he proposed the closures. He didn’t initiate a study or put together a task force.

He certainly didn’t talk to any mental health patients who would be affected by the cuts.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 9:56 am

Comments

Another thing that deserves mention after the DOJ report is why we should trust this training regimen is better than the disastrous ones laid bare last week?

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 10:05 am
not smart politically to disturb mental health advocates without a plan. 1) need 2) those are some pretty agitated activists, based on their response There are legitimate questions as to whether the City should operate these types of clinics, but mapping where services are available….hospitals would actually be the best way of delivering service….is important. Health insurance mental health access should be a part of the equation.If you have insurance, use it.

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 10:18 am
Any chance the Mayor will take responsibility for aggravating the problem? Nah.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 10:27 am
Look, I live in Uptown. The biggest problem in our neighborhood isn’t crime, it’s seriously mentally ill folks who have been turned out onto the street because they have nowhere else to go. The number of people in Chicago with debilitating mental illness who get absolutely no assistance from anyone is staggering.

The mayor is a smart guy, but his approach to this is blindingly stupid. We’re not talking about depression here (though that’s also a serious illness) - we’re talking about crippling paranoid schizophrenia and the like.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 10:31 am
Closing down the clinics and closing down the school (along with their social workers and counseling) have no doubt had a large negative effect on this city’s mental health

Comment by Carhartt Representative Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 11:08 am
Any step towards more mental health training for police officers is a good step. The sooner we start making mental health training as common and necessary as weapons training (which happens multiple times each year for most officers), the better.

Outside of the obvious service benefits for the many individuals with mental illnesses who the police interact with, the fiscal benefits for the community from reduced lawsuits is worth the cost of training and then some.

I’d imagine in the not to distant future we’ll start seeing specialized officers hired with more of a mental health/resource officer focus and less of a traditional police focus. Probably a change that has been needed for some time.

Comment by Vermilion Slim Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 11:29 am
Unfortunately Illinois is packed with DINO’s who are our politicians. Mental Health care, pro-Union beliefs, School funding equity, income inequality, fairer tax policies and race relations are pro-citizen, anti-business, progressive issues. Our leaders only give LIP SERVICE to these important Illinois problems. Cullerton wants ANOTHER Pension “solution”. Rahm cries about the unfairness of perpetual poverty and lack of hope for our poorest communities, but closes HALF of the mental health centers. Madigan (and QUINN) constantly praise and support unions but go along with an unconstitutional law to cut their benefits. Previous Mayor of Chicago sold the entire city down the river by selling off assets and destroyed the Teachers pension fund
by not paying the required contributions with the blessing of the State legislature when they gave him back control of the District. These elected officials talk a great game, but their votes and policies go along the SAME ROAD as Gov. Raunger and his Billionaire cronies. Time to DEMAND our DINO’s join the 21st Century and the REAL PROGRESSIVE movement. Populism can work for the Dems too. Give us something to support that actually HELPS everyone in the State.

Comment by qualified someone nobody sent Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 11:33 am
Unfortunately families of Mental heath patients have been complaining about lack of adequate services for years, eventually they tire and move elsewhere. One of the reasons my neighbors left Logan square. One more way the city exports its problems rather than deal with them.

Comment by NorthsideNoMore Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 11:34 am
“Treating the symptoms” is the classic-response of a power-for-powers-sake spin doctor like Emanuel.

It should be noted that he initially opposed any Justice Department review (until he realized it was a done-deal) and that there wouldn’t have been any call for a review if had succeeded in suppressing the McDonald tape, as he did for months (with a $5 million payout to boot).

You wouldn’t even have gotten the spin if it had gone Emanuel’s way.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 11:53 am
You know, Chicago, nice way to deflect the elephant in the room. You have a murder problem that is out of control. Gang violence is getting way out of hand, but hey, training these police officers will fix the gang problem and cause a culture shift in the bad parts of town, right?

Comment by Bobert Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 3:33 pm
Chicago is not the only place in IL with little or no support for its citizens whom are mentally ill. Mental health care in this state is a joke.

Comment by Mental Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 3:37 pm
===but hey, training these police officers will fix the gang problem and cause a culture shift in the bad parts of town, right?===

If you think there is one simple solution to this mess, you’re a complete fool.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 3:48 pm
–Gang violence is getting way out of hand, but hey, training these police officers will fix the gang problem and cause a culture shift in the bad parts of town, right?–

Actually, if you’ve been paying any attention at all, you’d know that hierarchial “gangs” have gone the way of the do-do. Block-by-block loosely affiliated cells are the narcotics business model.

But narcotics are not the only source of street violence, either.

Seriously, where are you coming from when you think police training is a bad idea?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 3:55 pm
A lot of the mentally ill people tossed out of state facilities end up homeless and/or in jail for minor things like being drunk and disorderly. Overall this doesn’t do anyone any good. It just shifts the cost from the state to local governments.

Comment by DuPage Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 4:25 pm