Cook County launches campaign to boost mental health awareness and access

Cook County launches campaign to boost mental health awareness and access

Need mental health support? A new countywide push in Cook is making it easier to get help.

COOK COUNTY - Cook County is expanding mental health support through a new awareness campaign and more accessible services, including a new clinic in Bronzeville.

What we know:

Mental health support in Cook County is getting a significant boost with the launch of a countywide public awareness campaign aimed at breaking stigma and helping residents connect to care.

The initiative includes improved access to a mental health helpline run by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), which provides emotional support and referrals to mental health resources. It also supports the growth of community-based peer-support groups.

Jasmine Watkins of NAMI Chicago said the goal is to make it easier for people to take the first step toward mental health care.

"We strongly believe that no one should have to struggle alone, which is why we’re so deeply committed to making sure that it’s easy for people to reach out and ask for help when they’re not sure what they need or where to go," Watkins said.

Dig deeper:

Cook County Health is also celebrating the opening of a new family medicine clinic in Bronzeville. The $12.1 million facility, located in the former Lake Meadows Professional Building on East 31st Street, is an extension of Provident Hospital in Washington Park.

The new Bronzeville clinic joins a network of 14 county-run facilities in the Chicago area, all of which provide services regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.