Community Counseling Centers of Chicago
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS
Greetings!

One in two. That's your chance-- and mine-- of being diagnosed with a mental illness over our lifetime. Mental health disorders and substance use touch all of us in some way, no matter our race, gender, age, what we earn or where we live.

 

In fact, it might surprise you to learn that depression-- not heart disease or cancer -- is the number one cause of disability worldwide. But there is hope. We know that treatment works, and people with mental illness and substance use are able to live, work, and participate fully in their communities.     

 

When children and adults don't get the help they need, the consequences are tragic. Teen-agers drop out of school; adults lose jobs, homes and relationships. Families suffer. Suicide is now the tenth leading cause of death for adults. People with severe mental illness live on average nine years less than their healthier counterparts. They are more likely to have chronic conditions that go untreated, like high blood pressure or diabetes.

 

The human cost is devastating, but all of us pay the higher economic costs: care provided by emergency rooms, psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes is several times higher than the cost of providing services in the community.

 

Here in Illinois, thousands of adults and children with mental illness and substance use are once again threatened by huge funding cuts that would drastically reduce or even eliminate already barebones services to people without Medicaid or private insurance.   At C4, more than 1,600 adults and 200 children would have services cut or eliminated, including crisis services, visits to psychiatrists, and  medication.

 

If you had diabetes, what would happen if someone refused to pay for your insulin? It's no different for someone with mental illness.

 

Over the next few weeks, you will meet adults and children whose lives have been dramatically improved- profoundly changed -- by our services.

 

You can do something today. We need your voice to tell our legislators in Springfield to stop cutting mental health services.   With one simple click, you can use our sample letter and legislative finder to identify your state representative and senator.

 

Say no to budget cuts 

 

 

I also invite you to join us at C4 Miles: Making Strides for Mental Health on Sunday, May 6 to help us send the message that people  with mental illness and substance use deserve lives of dignity and hope!

 

You can register at c4miles.org. 

 

Thank you for your support.

 

Sincerely,

Eileen Durkin, President & CEO

Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4)

 

 

 

 Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4)

4740 N. Clark

Chicago, Il 60640

 

773 769-0205 Crisis Line and All Services

 

 

Find out more at c4chicago.org 

 

 

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