Crisis Response Program Shifts to Public Health

The City of Chicago’s Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) program, which provides emergency response to people experiencing a mental health crisis, is transitioning to a staffing model comprised of all public health employees.

First piloted with behavioral health clinicians from the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) alongside paramedics from the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) and Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trained officers from the Chicago Police Department (CPD), the CARE program will shift to a staffing model in which CDPH behavioral health clinicians and CDPH emergency medical technicians solely respond to 911 calls identified by dispatchers as having a mental health component.

Read the full press release on the City of Chicago website.

Healthy Chicago Podcast

The Lead Poisoning Prevention and Healthy Homes Program works to prevent, detect and address lead and other home health and safety hazards. The latest episode of the Healthy Chicago Podcast is a conversation between team members Sharita Webb (Director of Public Health Operations), Patty Okotete (Lead Nursing Supervisor), and Tony Burmistrz (Supervising Building Construction Inspector) about what lead is, how it can be dangerous to children and adults, and what Chicago is doing to keep people safe. Learn more about lead poisoning prevention at LeadSafeChicago.org.

In the latest episode of the Spanish-Language Healthy Chicago podcast, Katherine Calderon, Director of Mental Health Operations at CDPH, and Saúl Ayala, Supervising Communicable Disease Investigator at CDPH, join host Solange Pina-Lorca to discuss “Question. Persuade. Refer,” a new suicide prevention initiative that provides free training for residents to help them recognize warning signs of suicide risk and connect individuals in need to appropriate support. They emphasize how community-wide training sessions create valuable opportunities to address mental health issues, foster open discussions about suicide, and raise awareness of available crisis resources in Chicago.

Tune in to the newest episode of Healthy Chicago on the CDPH website and all major platforms:

Spotify | Apple | YouTube

Lead Poisoning Prevention Conference Recap

On Tuesday, September 24, the CDPH Lead Poisoning Prevention and Healthy Homes program hosted its inaugural "Safe Spaces" conference at Malcolm X College. The event, titled “Safe Spaces: Creating a Lead-Free & Healthy Home Environment for All,” attracted over 150 participants, including representatives from various city departments, health organizations, and community groups. The conference aimed to raise awareness about lead hazards in homes and provide strategies for creating safer environments for families.

Notable speakers included Vice Mayor Ald. Walter Burnett and Deputy Mayor Jen Johnson, both emphasizing the administration’s commitment to equitable health initiatives and the importance of eliminating lead hazards. Deputy Mayor Johnson said, "It is a part of equity and racial justice to work for lead-free homes throughout the city of Chicago."

The Lead Poisoning Prevention team’s ongoing support ensures that families maintain healthy living conditions. The conference underscores CDPH’s dedication to identifying and addressing lead hazards, with the ultimate goal of fostering a healthier future for Chicago’s children.

Pilsen South Ashland Town Hall Meeting

CDPH hosted a community Town Hall in advance of the opening of the new Pilsen South Ashland Health Hub, a dedicated community-centered space aimed at enhancing access to critical health services and fostering deeper connections within the Pilsen neighborhood.

The Town Hall was held September 25th at the National Museum of Mexican Art and provided a valuable opportunity for residents to learn more about the upcoming services and share their insights and feedback.

The Pilsen South Ashland Health Hub will officially reopen on October 28th, with expanded health care services, including mental health services. Currently, immunizations are available on Thursdays and Fridays from 8 AM to 3 PM, but CDPH plans to expand service hours in the near future.

For more information on the Pilsen South Ashland Health Hub, visit chicago.gov/PilsenHub.

###