A Short List of Mental Health Resources
In August 2018, Jamie Olah presented a workshop production of her new play Breaker as part of Links’ 40th Anniversary Season. The play explored mental health and the invisible wounds of post traumatic stress disorder and included a post-show panel discussion with Licensed Clinical Social Worker Virginia Lawton Boller who created this “A Short List of Mental Health Resources” to share with the Links Hall community. Thank you, Virginia!
A Short List of Mental Health Resources
Prepared by Virginia Lawton Boller, LCSW
Emergency: Call 911
or go to the nearest hospital emergency room (google map)
Non-emergency: Referral numbers
United Way of Metropolitan Chicago recommends calling one of the following numbers for up-to-date information on the services in that area:
Chicago: 311
DuPage County: 800-942-9412 or www.dupagecris.org
Kane County: 630-966-9393
Lake County: 847-775-1000 or www.findhelplakecounty.org
McHenry County: 815-338-0234
Will County: 815-722-3344 or www.crisisline247.org
Lake County, Indiana: 800-826-7871
Suburban Cook County: 312-655-7500
South Suburban Cook County: 708-966-9HUB(9482) or hubrelief.com
The State of Illinois maintains a list of community mental providers for which they provide varying levels of funding. Call 1-800-843-6154 for a list of the ones closest to you.
The Illinois Mental Health Collaborate maintains the “Warm Line” at 866-359-7953, which provides information on “recovery and empowerment services” available through mental health centers and related facilities.
Cook County Dept. of Health and Hospitals Adult Psychiatric Services provide access to outpatient psychiatric services at five sites: Stroger Hospital, Provident Hospital, Morton East High School, and Oak Forest Hospital, and the CORE Center (HIV Positive only). To make an appointment, call 312-864-6610.
The City of Chicago Mental Health Centers provide supports for emotional, traumatic, or behavioral difficulties, based on the needs identified by the consumer. They plan to offer tele-psychiatry services at in the near future at their six Community Mental Health Centers. Call the Center listed below for more information.
Englewood MHC Phone: 312.747.7496
Greater Grand/MID-South MHC Phone: 312.747.0036
Greater Lawn MHC Phone: 312.747.1020
Lawndale MHC Phone: 312.746.5905
North River MHC Phone: 312.744.1906
Roseland MHC Phone 773-291-2501
By Category of Facility
Google these organizations for contact information.
If HMO member, contact them
If your employer has an employee assistance program, contact them. Confidentiality generally maintained
Federally qualified health centers: particularly Heartland Alliance (https://www.heartlandalliance.org/hah/what-we-do/mental-health/), and Chicago Family Health (http://chicagofamilyhealth.org/)
Private clinics and facilities: particularly Turning Point (https://www.tpoint.org/), also Insight (https://www.insightbhc.com/treatment-centers/chicago-il/overview), Community Counseling Centers (https://www.c4chicago.org/), Compass (https://compasshealthcenter.net/our-story/)
Hospital Psychiatry departments and outpatient departments
Family Service agencies: Catholic Charities, Jewish Federation, Metropolitan Family Services, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (call and ask what services offered and at what location)
The Council for Jewish Elderly, a member of the Jewish Federation, has extensive services for Holocaust Survivors
Peer support groups
Alcoholics Anonymous, Go to https://www.chicagoaa.org/find-a-meeting to find a meeting near you
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) National organization with chapters in Illinois. Local phone (312) 563-0445 Local Website (http://www.NAMIChicago.org)
60 Digital Resources for Mental Health: https://socialworklicensemap.com/social-work-resources/mental-health-resources-list/
Virginia Lawton Boller is a recently retired Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Prior to retiring, she worked for more than a decade for Metropolitan Family Services, a family service agency in the far Southside of Chicago, where she supervised and provided direct services to a wide range of people. She encountered many with PTSD, both diagnosed and not diagnosed. Among those with PTSD were Hurricane Katrina evacuees, veterans, and homeless people, both in shelters and drop in centers.