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Mental Health Care
Quick Hit
by Matthew Blake
12:58pm
Mon Jun 18, 2012
1 comment

Mental Health Movement Protesters Use 'Necessity Defense' At Cook County Trial

Foes of Chicago closing six of its 12 mental health clinics in April will air their grievances today in a new venue – the Cook County Criminal Court.

Five protesters charged with trespassing at the since closed Woodlawn mental health clinic will use the “necessity defense” according to their attorney James Fennerty, who spoke at a press conference this morning outside the courthouse. Defendants invoke the necessity defense when they claim to have committed a crime so as to benefit the public good.

“These people don’t deny that they trespassed,” Fennerty said. “But they were doing it to prevent a greater evil — meaning the closing down of the clinics and people not getting their mental health care, and not getting their drugs or seeing their therapist.” Read more »

Quick Hit
by Matthew Blake
5:16pm
Fri Jun 1, 2012
1 comment

State Budget Keeps Facilities Open

Amid the focus in Springfield yesterday on pensions, the General Assembly passed its entire budget for fiscal year 2013, which begins July 1. The package delivered an expected rebuke of Gov. Pat Quinn’s plan to close multiple state facilities.

The Tamms supermax prison, a women’s prison in Dwight, the mental health center in Tinley Park, and developmentally disabled centers in Jacksonville and Centralia all received funding to stay open, along with smaller state facilities Quinn wants closed.

However, the governor may opt to close the mental health and developmentally disabled centers, and Tamms will no longer be a supermax facility. Read more »

Quick Hit
by Matthew Blake
4:56pm
Mon Apr 30, 2012
1 comment

Mental Health Advocates Decry Chicago Clinic Closings (VIDEO)

Mental health advocates intensified their opposition today to the city’s plan to close six of 12 mental health clinics by occupying the lobby outside Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office – even as the city confirmed that they would go forward today with the last four clinic closings. Read more »

PI Original
by Matthew Blake
9:29am
Fri Apr 20, 2012
6 comments

City Officials And Mental Health Advocates Continue Stand Off In Chicago

Health Care

From partly undoing cuts for branch library hours to extending the school day seven – not seven and a half – hours, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has scaled back major policy changes in response to public criticism. Thus far, this is not the case with the city’s plan to close six of its 12 mental health clinics, despite vehement protests planned to continue at least through next week.

PI Original
by Matthew Blake
6:17pm
Thu Mar 1, 2012
3 comments

Programs For Homeless Among Those Hit By State Budget Crunch

Social Services

It’s de ja vu for Chicago homeless advocates – and thousands of Illinois residents who are homeless or in danger of losing shelter. Homeless programs are among social services slated to be cut in Pat Quinn's budget proposal — again.