Ten minutes – for some in a mental health crisis, that’s all the time it may take to decide to end their life. Caught in a state of tunnel-vision and unable to make rational decisions, suicide can seem like the only way to end the pain to an individual in distress.
These intense moments of suicidal ideation can fade as quickly as they come. Having a safe space or a person to go to for support can mean the difference between life and death.
“If you can keep somebody safe in the moment, there’s a chance you’re going to prevent them from making the attempt,” said Angela Cummings, Executive Director of the Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), a nonprofit dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through support, education and advocacy. “You have possibly saved a life.”
In 2023, the most recent year for which CDC data is available, more than 1,500 people died by suicide in Illinois, totalling over 30,000 years of lost life. About a third of those lived in Cook County. For these people and many others, finding a lifeline in the throes of a mental health crisis can feel impossible.
Part of the issue is a lack of mental health professionals. Cook County is short 15,900 behavioral health workers for the 1.2 million residents who need their services, leaving 35 percent of those in need without services. When resources are available, stigma, shame and fear can still keep people from getting the help they need.
Non-clinical support spaces can open a conversation for those struggling with suicidal ideation or other pressing mental health issues. In the past 10 years, several of these spaces have appeared across the Chicago area, offering pioneering community-based solutions that bridge the gaps to receiving professional support. This September, for National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, the Chicago Reporter is highlighting several of these spaces.
Sip of Hope Coffee
After opening in 2018, Sip of Hope became the world’s first coffee shop that donates 100% of its proceeds to suicide prevention and mental health awareness. The store was founded by the nonprofit Hope for the Day, giving physical form to their mission of “breaking the silence around mental health.”
Sip of Hope offers a unique third space, centered on mental health, that begs an honest answer to the question, “How are you doing?”
“This is a place where people can come and hang out and work and get a great cup of coffee. Or, if they need to, they can have a conversation with somebody who can help them,” said Benjamin Kohn, Executive Director of Hope for the Day. “When you build a space like that, you open the room up to draw people in and allow themselves to be vulnerable.”
At Sip of Hope locations in Logan Square and Hyde Park, two baristas trained in mental health first-aid are on duty at all times. If approached by someone in crisis, they’re ready to drop everything to sit and listen without judgment.
“There have been lots of those small conversations, and some really big ones too. I don’t think I’ve forgotten any of them.” said Brian Kmiecik, General Manager at Sip of Hope. “It’s so obvious that talking about things helps people heal and grow a little bit.”
Hope for the Day hosts an online resource compass to locate free and reduced-cost mental health resources. Other educational materials are available on-site at Sip of Hope or online through hftd.org/educationalmaterial.
Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health
Christopher LeMark founded Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health after facing his own mental breakdown in a coffee shop. The experience inspired him to seek therapy and, a year later, he launched his nonprofit and cafe.
The Lakeview storefront provides a home for community-focused mental health programs. Weekly group sessions encourage people across generations, from their 20s to 70s, to share and connect over their struggles. With these and other events, LeMark hopes to normalize conversations on mental health and therapy.
“Here, there’s no judgment, no bias,” LeMark said. “I don’t have an opinion of you, I just have perspective. We all need that.”
LeMark hopes to provide an easier access point for people to engage with their mental health through the hip-hop pillar of his organization. As he states, this is especially important for reaching Black men, a population that has shown increasing suicide rates in Chicago over recent years. “If I’m going to unapologetically tell my community that they’re valuable, I’m gonna have to speak their language,” LeMark said.
Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health hosts free events including group therapy sessions and their Mental Health University, which offers a month-long curriculum on Social Emotional Learning.
The Living Room
Sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), The Living Room provides an alternative to the sterile, discomforting environment of emergency rooms for those in a mental health crisis.
Walking into one of their locations in LaGrange or Summit, Illinois, these spaces offer a unique resource for confronting suicide ideation: peer-to-peer support from those who have experienced similar struggles and are now living in recovery.
“If you are in crisis or if you are experiencing an increase in your mental health symptoms and there’s someone sitting across from you who says, ‘I get it, I’ve been there too, and now I’m doing okay,’ it really instills a lot of hope,” said Shelly Lustrup, Chief Executive Officer of NAMI Suburban Metro.
The peer-based model also helps to remove barriers that prevent people from seeking clinical support. After de-escalating from a momentary crisis, recovery support specialists can connect visitors with long-term care options and mental health education.
Since 2024, The Living Room locations in LaGrange and Summit have been open 24/7, 365 days of the year. Anyone 18 and older can walk in and stay for up to 23 hours. All services are free of charge.
Those interested in getting more involved during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month can participate in AFSP’s annual Out of the Darkness Chicagoland Walk on September 27. Other resources for finding or providing help to those struggling with suicide ideation include Talk Away the Dark and Seize the Awkward.