Pilsen organization helps teens navigate mental health, other challenges
The Chicago-based organization has been on the ground, working with families for nearly 65 years.
Watch CBS News
The Chicago-based organization has been on the ground, working with families for nearly 65 years.
CBS 2 is shining a light on an organization in Pilsen doing meaningful work in the community. CBS 2's Andrew Ramos introduced us to a troubled teen-turned-counselor inspiring change while addressing mental health.
CBS 2 spoke to the doctor with concerns from one CBS 2 viewer about the challenges her child is facing.
Desperate for help, CBS 2 heard from a mother of a teenager with mental health challenges. She wasn't sure what to do. Her son gets physical, even violent sometimes. CBS 2's Lauren Victory tapped a local mental health expert for some perspective on these challenges and others. It's part of CBS 2's coverage for Mental Health Action Day.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we're spotlighting a Chicago non-profit focused on providing mental health and wellness services to communities of color; men and boys specifically. GRO Community is a mental health organization based in Roseland, with the goal of providing trauma-informed treatment for boys and men.
"Not every incident needs someone arrested, and not every incident needs somebody ticketed; but somehow, someway, the police were called. So we're here to help," Sgt. Jim Yanecek said.
Only on 2: there's been a push across the country to rethink policing when it comes to mental health crises, and the Lake County Sheriff's Department was one of the first in the Chicago area to put together a specialized team. Five years later, the Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST) has more than doubled the number of calls they respond to. CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey is digging into the numbers and what they mean.
The group met early Friday morning and got in some warmups before heading out for an eight-mile run around Garfield Park.
In 2019 the department only had 13 mental health service locations. This year, there are more than 170 centers, including mobile, home and community based services.
The city started a new program to reduce the stigma associated with therapy. CBS 2's Shardaa Gray spent the day at the Beverly branch library learning about the new service.
According to the CDC, about 44% of teens say they have extreme feelings of fear and hopelessness.
Mental health is a crucial part of our wellness, but it's not always easy to talk about or navigate. One local high school is spending a week with its students to have the difficult conversations, and give them the tools they need to thrive.
The senator said the federal funding will go toward trauma-informed care and additional mental health personnel in public schools through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act passed by Congress last year.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin will announce more than $14 million in federal funding for local schools.
The Brookfield facility will offer mental health assessments, classes, and programs like yoga and meditation to any 14- to 18-year-old who wants or needs them.
In the past year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 44 percent of teens they surveyed reported extreme feelings of fear and hopelessness. CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov reports.
"Youth have been through so much trauma through the pandemic; whether it's from the school shutdown, and just the isolation, lack of academic stimulation for some, and the lack of social interactions."
A Colorado school district is prioritizing mental health by building a new facility that will double up as a school and a mental health day-treatment center.
A severe shortage of mental health treatment options means kids in crisis increasingly find themselves in emergency rooms for weeks or longer.
The organization BUILD Inc. is also set to open a brand new space in the Austin neighborhood to better serve residents.
In a time of crisis, admitting that you need help to manage your mental health is often the first step, but from there, without knowing where to go or who to contact, that is often where things stop. A community group in the Austin neighborhood is working to eliminate those hurdles of going out to find resources, by pulling right up to the people in need.
A California psychology professor has gained a million followers on TikTok by debunking "wellness" advice that could do more harm than good.
Children and teens across the U.S. increasingly face significant mental health challenges and a severe shortage of services to treat them. The result: kids everywhere are in crisis.
The goal is to help officers better understand mental illness. They'll also learn de-escalation tactics. The announcement coming one day after Aurora police shot a man. CBS 2's Andrew Ramos
As CBS 2's Andrew Ramos told us, Ricardo Camacho is trying to change that, one conversation at a time.
Galewood residents at a meeting on Wednesday night were not completely sold on the housing plan, but had ideas on how else the property could be used.
From unique designs to Chicago sports, each garage on the block shares a story through its graffiti-style artwork.
Six players made 3s for Illinois, which shot 17 of 38 from behind the arc and had just two turnovers.
As of Wednesday, the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Spencer Knight made 16 saves for the Blackhawks, who have dropped five of six.
President Trump told NBC News the call to remove 700 immigration officers from Minneapolis came from him.
With U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky retiring at the end of her term, voters in Illinois' 9th Congressional District face a crowded field of candidates to fill the seat with a new representative for the first time since 1998.
Hillary Clinton will appear for a deposition on Feb. 26, while former President Bill Clinton will appear on Feb. 27, according to the House Oversight Committee.
The House on Tuesday voted 217 to 214 to fund major parts of the government and end the partial shutdown.
All federal immigration agents in Minneapolis will begin wearing body cameras, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Monday, a policy that could be rolled out nationwide.
This week marks Identity Theft Awareness Week, and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza emphasized some safety tips Monday for avoiding and dealing with identity theft.
A controversial data center in Naperville, Illinois, could be the cause to pack a city council meeting there on Tuesday night.
Police in the west Chicago suburb of Geneva are warning of a scam involving spoofed phone numbers.
Protesters on Tuesday were cranking up the heat on Peoples Gas over a recently proposed rate hike that would add an additional $10 to $11 a month to utility bills.
A lawsuit filed late last month took Chicago-based McDonald's to task over the McRib sandwich, calling its name a form of false advertising.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital announced this week that it is planning to open a new pediatric hospital in the west Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.
It has been nearly six years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the many questions doctors are still working to answer concerns the long-term effects.
Leaders from Cook County, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository denounced changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Wednesday.
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center has received a grant from The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation for a new cancer center.
Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital said Tuesday that it is no longer initiating gender-affirming medical treatment for minors.
January may be the coldest time of the year, but Chicago is already looking forward to summer farmers' markets.
A development proposal issued this month calls for the replacement of a building housing a Giordiano's pizzeria in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood with a new mixed-use building with 28 residential units.
United Airlines flight attendants picketed outside Chicago's Willis Tower Thursday morning as they fought for a new contract.
WSCR-AM, 670 The Score, will begin a simulcast on 104.3 FM next month.
Does the Chicago Bears' dramatic improvement this season, culminating in their first playoff run in five years, change the discussion about where they will build a new stadium?
The members of Ratboys were teenagers when they met by chance, and now in their 30s, the Chicago band formed by two college friends almost two decades ago appears to be on the brink of something big.
Chuck Negron, a founding member of Three Dog Night whose lead vocals powered a string of hits for one of the top rock acts of the late 1960s and early '70s has died. He was 83.
Bad Bunny used his Grammy acceptance speech on Sunday to denounce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and call for the end of the ongoing immigration crackdown.
The 2026 Grammy Awards recognized the best of the best in music from last year, with big wins for Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny. Here's the full list of winners and nominees.
Complete closure of the performing arts center in Washington, D.C., will start on July 4, Mr. Trump said. It's not yet clear how extensive the changes to the building might be.
A woman was killed, and a man was wounded when they were shot Wednesday afternoon while in a car with a baby in the back seat in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood
The wishlist for what Galewood residents want to see the old Mars Wrigley factory is long, but there's one idea they don't want to see become reality — housing.
Chief Meteorologist Albert Ramon has the latest including when the city will see temps in the 40s.
Neighbors say it's likely preventing unwanted graffiti in the neighborhood.
For Valentine's Day, McDonald’s is giving away free caviar kits to go with its chicken nuggets. The giveaway starts on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
A woman was killed and a man was wounded when they were shot while in a car with a baby in the back seat in Auburn Gresham, just steps from St. Sabina Parish.
Galewood residents at a meeting on Wednesday night were not completely sold on the housing plan, but had ideas on how else the property could be used.
From unique designs to Chicago sports, each garage on the block shares a story through its graffiti-style artwork.
As of Wednesday, the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Julius Burkes Jr, 47, accused of the deadly shooting of Momence bar owner Courtney Drysdale, waived his extradition to Illinois before a judge during a hearing on Wednesday morning.
Cynthia Eason recounted the moment Chicago police officers raided her family's home in 2018.
Water bills could be going up in several Chicago suburbs and other parts of Illinois, as Illinois American Water seeks a rate increase to fund infrastructure improvements.
The case involves a Chicago grandmother, her daughter, and her four grandchildren, who all said that Chicago police officers pointed guns at them during the botched raid.
Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel no longer will have to testify about an alleged "code of silence" at the Chicago Police Department, after a federal judge reversed an earlier ruling that would have allowed him to take the stand in a lawsuit over a botched police raid.
John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, the busiest trauma center in Illinois, is sounding an alarm, as doctors brace for an influx of patients because of federal funding cuts under the Trump administration's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act."
Six players made 3s for Illinois, which shot 17 of 38 from behind the arc and had just two turnovers.
Spencer Knight made 16 saves for the Blackhawks, who have dropped five of six.
The Chicago Bulls are trading Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets, reports said Wednesday.
Chicago cut Milwaukee's lead to 90-84 late in the third quarter, but couldn't get any closer.
The Chicago Bulls are sending center Nikola Vučević to the Boston Celtics in exchange for guard Anfernee Simons, and the teams will also swap second-round draft picks as part of the deal.
A woman was killed and a man was wounded when they were shot Wednesday afternoon while in a car with a baby in the back seat in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood, just steps from St. Sabina Parish.
A man who was arrested on child sexual abuse charges in Illinois is facing additional charges in the San Francisco Bay Area in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a child, police said.
Ryan Routh, the man convicted in a 2024 assassination attempt of President Trump at his Florida golf course, has been sentenced to life in prison.
The shooters remained at large Wednesday in two attacks that happened less than a mile apart on Chicago's Near West Side a day earlier.
The disappearance of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, is being investigated as a crime.
