[remote or in-person] Chicago Board of Health

Chicago Department of Public Health
Health

Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024
9:00 a.m. CDT

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1340 S Damen Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60608 Chicago, IL 60608 (Directions)

4th floor, training room (#4024)

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Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team

Note-taking by Anson Tong

The Mental Health Expansion Initiative has made progress and continues to need community input, program evaluation, and quality improvement efforts.

View notes
Live reporting by Lauren Sheperd

Chicago’s mental health crisis response program will no longer include police officers or fire department paramedics.

Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd
Starting at 9 a.m., I will be live-tweeting about the Chicago Board of Health's September meeting for @CHIdocumenters. Below, I have attached the meeting agenda. chicago.gov/content/dam/ci…
chicago.gov/content/dam/ci…

08:00 AM Sep 25, 2024 CDT

Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 2/68
@CHIdocumenters As of right now, I am still waiting for the webinar to start.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 3/68
@CHIdocumenters The webinar has started, though the camera is off.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 4/68
@CHIdocumenters It was just announced that the camera for the webinar is not working. It is also very difficult to hear, so I will try my best!
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 5/68
@CHIdocumenters Right now, Board of Health President Janet Lin is speaking. From what I am able to hear, it sounds like they are planning on downsizing the department.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 6/68
@CHIdocumenters I can see the screen being shared.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 7/68
@CHIdocumenters Dr. Stephanie Black is currently presenting on the Disease Control Conference, though it is nearly impossible to hear what she's saying.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 8/68
@CHIdocumenters The webinar just disconnected. Will keep everyone updated.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 9/68
@CHIdocumenters The webinar is back. There is nothing on the screen, but it is much easier to hear now.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 10/68
@CHIdocumenters According to President Lin, the most impacted branches impacted by vacancies from cuts will be in disease control, which was mainly dedicated to handling COVID.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 11/68
@CHIdocumenters The Department of Health is also responsible for inspecting restaurants and other places food is served. They are looking to grow this section, because they are currently unable to meet the demand. The goal is also to expand the mental health department.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 12/68
@CHIdocumenters The Board is trying to redirect some money dedicated to COVID for other things. However, these requests have been denied, meaning they cannot use it for anything aside from COVID.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 13/68
@CHIdocumenters The Board does not have a lot of "flexible funding" because they are so heavily dependent on grants.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 14/68
@CHIdocumenters The Board does not get a ton of funding from the state because Chicago is one of 10 big cities that receives federal funding.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 15/68
@CHIdocumenters The sound has gone out again for me. It sounds like the entire meeting is passing around a laptop and using that as the speaker.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 16/68
@CHIdocumenters I am back in the meeting, but sound has not been reconnected.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 17/68
@CHIdocumenters I can see the screen, however.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 18/68
@CHIdocumenters Volume is back! Matt Richards -- Deputy Commissioner of Behavioral Health -- is no presenting on mental health.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 19/68
@CHIdocumenters Currently, five mental health clinics are open and two more will be open by the end of the year.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 20/68
@CHIdocumenters Blue = already open sights, red = sights to open by the end of the year
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 21/68
@CHIdocumenters The Department is now changing to same-day med access. Now, people will not need to go to therapy through the city in order to get their meds.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 22/68
@CHIdocumenters This allows people coming through the 911 program and others better access to meds.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 23/68
@CHIdocumenters There has been significant expansions this year when it comes to staff. All new mental health clinics are also being re-designed.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 24/68
@CHIdocumenters Evening hours are now being offered at all mental health facilities.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 25/68
@CHIdocumenters Richards mentioned a report conducted by the city called THE PEOPLE'S VISION FOR MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. Here is the link: chicago.gov/content/dam/ci…
chicago.gov/content/dam/ci…
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 26/68
@CHIdocumenters There has been significant amount of hiring done this year, though there is now a freeze. However, Richards said there may be some exceptions.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 27/68
@CHIdocumenters CARE is Chicago's program to address mental health concerns rather than the police. The pilot program ended last Sept., but Mayor Johnson plans on making this more permanant. chicago.gov/city/en/sites/…
chicago.gov/city/en/sites/…
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 28/68
@CHIdocumenters The new model starting next week. Before, the program was only in four districts. Two new districts are being added as well as a city-wide team.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 29/68
@CHIdocumenters CARE is hiring in an incremental fashion as the program expands.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 30/68
@CHIdocumenters Here is a graph being presented on responses. There were no arrests and very few uses of force. According to Richards, mental health calls are safe. There are roles for CARE teams to play with no police presence.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 31/68
@CHIdocumenters Here is a model of how staffing will work within this new structure:
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 32/68
@CHIdocumenters The management teams will allow additional services to be given to people. The city-wide team allows CARE to meet people where they are even if they aren't in a district covered by the program.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 33/68
@CHIdocumenters The CARE Overdose Response Team focuses on care post-overdose. The people who are most likely to experience an overdose is a past overdose. The biggest challenge faced was actually contacted people they were helping.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 34/68
@CHIdocumenters This was difficult because a lot of people trying to be found did not have a phone or were unhoused. Most people who received services did so in a private setting.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 35/68
@CHIdocumenters The CARE ORT was most successful in helping non-Hispanic, non-Black people over the age of 60.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 36/68
@CHIdocumenters To improve, the team is trying to intervene before victims leave the hospital. They also are trying to go to the geographical places overdoses tend to occur before the overdose happens.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 37/68
@CHIdocumenters The Mental Health Expansion Initiative has 41 community partners.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 38/68
@CHIdocumenters People who are not mental health professionals (trusted parties) are also being trained in mental health assistance. One of these is suicide prevention training.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 39/68
@CHIdocumenters The instructor cohort is diverse and many different languages are spoken.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 40/68
@CHIdocumenters Here is information on which parts of the city are most impacted by high suicide rates. This is telling the program where to place their resources.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 41/68
@CHIdocumenters Richards is discussing the relation of homelessness to behavioral health struggles.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 42/68
@CHIdocumenters The Haven model: 40thward.org/2024/02/introd…
40thward.org/2024/02/introd…
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 43/68
@CHIdocumenters This is in Lincoln Square. They took the model of non-congregate housing and onsite mental health service. Those who are eligible have to be unhoused and have a history of "cycling" though city services.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 44/68
@CHIdocumenters The program operator is VOA Illinois: voaillinois.org
voaillinois.org
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 45/68
@CHIdocumenters There are multiple referral pathways into the program: emergency departments, police, schools, etc.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 46/68
@CHIdocumenters Referrals are hyper-local.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 47/68
@CHIdocumenters Here is the project status and timeline:
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 48/68
@CHIdocumenters The Haven has been completely redesigned to be beneficial to those experiencing mental health crises by architects familiar with the matter.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 49/68
@CHIdocumenters Richards is now taking questions.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 50/68
@CHIdocumenters Richards wants to Board to think about "how the program fits into a local health department."
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 51/68
@CHIdocumenters Right now, the program does not formally partner with aging centers. However, they have started partnering with other settings such as libraries.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 52/68
@CHIdocumenters It's known that older adults are at a higher risk of social isolation which is a huge risk factor for other mental health struggles.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 53/68
@CHIdocumenters It is expected that the three new clinics will be able to serve between 900-1500 additional people. They also offer vaccines, primary care and other additional resources for patients.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 54/68
@CHIdocumenters Another outcome measure and goal is to reduce hospitalization rates.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 55/68
@CHIdocumenters At the site in Pilsen, five of six clinicians are multi-lingual.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 56/68
@CHIdocumenters The floor is now open to public comment. Commenters are given 3 minutes
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 57/68
@CHIdocumenters The first commenter is a doctor and former commissioner who's name I did not catch. He is emphasizing the need for the Department of Health.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 58/68
@CHIdocumenters He is now discussing the "epidemic" of maternal-child health especially for Black women. He is proposing they reopen the Englewood maternal resource and to work on reaching our pre-birth. He is also advocating for the reopening of the vaccine clinic in Englewood.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 59/68
@CHIdocumenters The doctor's name was Howard Ehrman . linkedin.com/in/howard-ehrm…
linkedin.com/in/howard-ehrm…
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 60/68
@CHIdocumenters Joy Burton is now commenting on water and air quality throughout the city.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 61/68
@CHIdocumenters CORRECTION: Joy Bunton
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 62/68
@CHIdocumenters She is now discussing COVID.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 63/68
@CHIdocumenters She is asking the Department to do anything to reduce COVID infections aside from just suggesting vaccinations.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 64/68
@CHIdocumenters The Board of Health is thanking everyone for their patience regarding the technical issues today.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 65/68
@CHIdocumenters There is one more public comment from within the meeting.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 66/68
@CHIdocumenters This speaker is from an organization focused on HIV/AIDS prevention that is completely Black led. She is talking about the racial disparities in new cases while the majority of grant funding goes to white-led organizations.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 67/68
@CHIdocumenters The speaker is urging the Department to look at the budget to have the funding sent to where cases are at the highest level.
Lauren Sheperd @laurenbsheperd 68/68
@CHIdocumenters The meeting is now adjourned.
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Agency Information

Chicago Department of Public Health

www.chicago.gov

(312) 747-9884

@ChiPublicHealth

Facebook page

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The Chicago Board of Health formulates health policies and advises the Mayor and the Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner on all health issues. The board consists of nine members, including the president of the board. The president of the board is a licensed physician and, along with other members of the board, is appoined by the Mayor of the city of Chicago.

Many of CDPH’s public hearings are livestreamed on Facebook. Check here for past recordings: https://www.facebook.com/ChiPublicHealth/live_videos

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