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.
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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.
