Chicago Hispanic Newspaper, Lawndale News, Hispanic Bilingual Newspaper, Su Noticiero Bilingue » Cook County Health Department Hosts First Behavioral Health Summit

On February 15, the Cook County Health Department held its first Behavioral Health Summit, bringing together medical and social service providers, mental health advocates, community leaders, and elected officials to improve access and care in Cook County. We talked about ways to improve. The day-long summit, held at the UIC Dolin Forum, was led by the Cook County Department of Behavioral Health, which was established last year to support transformation of the behavioral health ecosystem across Cook County through community partnerships, systems coordination, and innovation. , and equity-led financing. More than 700 people from 300 organizations attended the event, which included remarks from Cook County Board of Commissioners President Toni Preckwinkle, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Regional Director Michael Cabonarzi. , including a videotaped message from Illinois. Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deere, who also serves as vice chair of the Cook County Board of Health and chair of the Cook County Health and Hospitals Board. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, in 2021, one in five U.S. adults will experience a mental illness, and one in six U.S. youth ages 6 to 17 will experience a disability. I have experienced it. Despite the prevalence of mental health conditions, fewer than half of adults (47.2 percent) received treatment, including 39.4 percent of African Americans and 36.1 percent of Hispanic adults. For more information about the Cook County Behavioral Health Summit, visit https://cookcountyhealth.org/cook-county-behavioral-health-summit/.