Story by: Sarah Riordan
April 29, 2009 – Englewood resident Rachel Fallon has easy access to something she calls “a true blessing.” With a mother who suffers from dementia, Fallon said the nearby Chicago mental health clinic is irreplaceable.
“It was just a year ago that I realized I couldn’t take care of my mom without help. I left to get groceries, and asked my mom to turn off the stove in 10 minutes. When I came home, the stove was still on, and two more burners had been turned on. She forgot how to turn off the stove,” Fallon said.
As a single woman who works full time as a hair dresser, Fallon said the money for a nursing home or a private nurse just wasn’t there. So Fallon and her mother began going to the Englewood Mental Health Center. At the clinic her mother’s medications are closely monitored, and she attends weekly group therapy sessions.
During these sessions, Fallon is able to accomplish everyday errands she says she could not do without the clinic’s aid.
Despite Fallon’s enthusiasm, a shadow is looming over the Chicago mental health industry; a dark cloud in the form of drastic city budget cuts, which have already shut down four similar practices in Chicago’s Southside.
Fallon says the thought of the city closing the Englewood clinic is terrifying.
“I go grocery shopping. I do it, and I don’t have to worry about the stove or anything else.” Fallon said. “I thought we could always go to them in good times and bad. I thought they would be there always to help both of us. Now, I’m just not so sure.”
Though the Englewood clinic is safe for now, rumors are swirling about even more clinics closing. In an issue that’s gaining popularity and stimulating protests throughout Chicago, hundreds are upset; and just as many are trying to work with the situation at hand.
Dr. Carl Bell, of the Community Mental Health Council, has been working in psychiatric medicine for over 30 years and helped write more than 300 books on mental health. Bell says he understands the concern, but feels it’s misdirected.
“What people don’t realize is that we, in addition to Chicago health officials are pulling for the people. The problem is on a state level. If state legislators won’t give us money, our hands are tied. If people want to protest, they should go to the state,” Bell said. His suggestion is to look up Illinois State Representatives, and call their offices.
Bell also says the Chicago Department of Public Health has been fighting to keep these clinics open for quite some time. Now that it’s becoming impossible, they are trying their best to make the transition for the patients as smooth as possible.
“I’m not an ignorant man when it comes to health issues. I know this won’t be easy for the patients, but we’re working with that,” Bell said.
One of the ways the city plans to remedy the situation is by making more house calls. As part of the clinic’s services, house calls are made for those incapable of leaving their homes. This program will continue, and according to Bell, increase to ensure that patients who are having a hard time with the transition won’t have to travel far.
Yet, Jamie Langley, a law student at John Marshall Law School in downtown Chicago, and a volunteer at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless is more skeptical of the promised smooth transition.
“I think they will end up like everyone else who has a mental illness, homeless or in jail,” said Langley. “I would bet every dollar I have that people from the closing centers will end up in one of the coalition’s programs.”
A 2007 report conducted by the Chicago Alliance, an organization that aims to end homelessness in Chicago, supports Langley’s concern. Thirty-two percent of all the homeless in Chicago are mentally ill and should in fact be institutionalized or under a doctor’s care.
Tim Hadac, spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Public Health, insists the department is doing everything possible to keep patients safe.
“Some clients at [the closing] sites will choose another mental health clinic, and some will choose other private providers. Either way, we will work to ensure that they receive the care they need.” Hadac said.
Langley however, isn’t so sure.
“Of course that’s what they’d say. I hope it’s true, but I’m almost certain some, if not all will end up on the streets,” Langley said.
With people like Langley and Fallon angered by the situation, the closing of the clinics will not occur quietly. Already the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and many patients have gathered to protest the events. In a Feb. 10 protest, 100 people gathered outside Mayor Daley’s office to stand against the closings.
Bell and Hadac both say they are aware of the concern, and are doing everything in their power to turn the closing of the clinics into a positive situation.
Langley and Fallon however, remain concerned. Fallon hopes that the clinic she has grown to love, will stay in Englewood for many years to come.
“I honestly don’t know what [my mother and I] would do without the centers. They are all that is keeping both of our heads above water.”
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