Home to 350,000 individuals, the West Side communities in the Rush service area extends from the city’s Near West Side to the suburbs of Forest Park, Oak Park and River Forest.
Some of the communities have the highest levels of poverty, the lowest life expectancy and some of the worst health outcomes in the city of Chicago. Compounding the effects of economic hardship are traumas and injuries induced by high rates of violence.
Community Behavioral Health (CBH) at Rush partners with local community organizations to deliver needed mental health services and supports to these neighborhoods. This project – called the West Side Behavioral Health Initiative – embeds CBH professionals inside local health care institutions, school-based health centers and faith-based organizations to provide screenings, clinical services, education and training.
CBH is leading initiatives to train community members and community organizations to perform evidence based interventions for mental health, trauma, and substance use. These partnerships and the dissemination of evidence-based interventions is the result of seamless integration of clinical research, clinical services, and mitigation of health disparities.
As we continue in this endeavor, the section hopes to integrate telehealth and mobile health technology into the clinical treatment of mental health, trauma and substance in these communities.
Section Contact
Deanna Doss
Administrative Assistant
1645 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 302
Chicago, IL 60612
Deanna_P_Doss@rush.edu