Alex Bailey has cycled in and out of Cook County Jail his entire adulthood. His life shows how mental illness has been criminalized, especially for black men.
Housing
Proposed HUD ban lights up debate about smoking
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Experts and residents are divided on the benefits and fairness of a national smoking ban in public housing units.
Perspectives: The Powers That Be
Beyond legal protections, disability rights advocates seek economic progress
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Twenty-five years after the Americans with Disabilities Act became law, people living with disabilities continue to face high poverty rates and barriers to employment.
Criminal Justice
Police face choice of handcuffs or helping hand for mentally ill
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As first responders to emergency calls, police play a critical role in determining whether people living with mental illness receive treatment or go to jail. But too few Chicago police officers are trained to handle these mental health crisis calls.
The new treatment center
Mentally ill behind bars
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This map is a snapshot of home addresses, by ZIP code, of Cook County Jail detainees who self-identified as living with mental illness on Jan. 29, 2015.
The new treatment center
Room for a new life
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Program offers stability and independence for people with mental illness.
The new treatment center
‘Falling through the cracks’
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Advocates say closing mental health clinics may have left hundreds without help.
Publisher's Note
For many with mental illness, it’s arrest, incarcerate, release, repeat
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In March, Anthony Hill, an Air Force veteran who served in Afghanistan, was shot and killed by a police officer in suburban Atlanta. Neighbors called police when an unarmed Hill was seen wandering around his apartment complex naked. He had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Hill’s death is one example of a recent deadly encounter between police and people living with mental illness. Shootings in Dallas and Milwaukee also have made national news and sparked calls for better police training.
The new treatment center
Interactive map of Chicago public mental health clinics
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This interactive map shows client caseloads and staffing levels at each of Chicago’s public mental health clinics between January 2011 and 2014.
Video
Seeking help for trauma
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When residents of some of the city’s most violent neighborhoods need mental health treatment, they often seek help from social service and community organizations in their neighborhoods — help that can be hard to find.
Immigration
Advocates urge more mental health services for unaccompanied immigrant children
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Unaccompanied minors face temporary displacement, language barriers and other challenges that can lead to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other serious mental health problems, according to research. Advocates say more services, such as talk therapy and support groups, are needed to help them deal with the stress and trauma they have experienced.