01.26.24

Durbin Participates in Official Launch of Northwestern Settlement's New Community Mental Health Center

CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today participated in the launch event for Northwestern Settlement’s new Community Mental Health Center (CMHC), which will expand access to mental health assistance by building out a new, bilingual community hub for clinical services at a moment when the need for them is at an all-time high.

“In an era where the demand for mental health services is at an all-time high, Northwestern Settlement’s dedication to fostering a resilient and inclusive community has never been more imperative,” said Durbin. “This new Community Mental Health Center will serve as a vital lifeline in addressing the urgent needs of families across Chicago.”

“We are so excited, and honored, to be launching our new Community Mental Health Center at the Settlement, and we owe Senator Durbin our deep gratitude for helping to make it possible,” said Carole Wood, CEO and President of Northwestern Settlement. “This is the culmination of a long, collective effort to provide new resources for our community’s mental health needs. The mental health crisis is a national issue, but we can address it by building out our capacities at the local level. Change begins in our neighborhood.”

Durbin secured $375,000 in federal funding through Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS)—more commonly known as an earmark—in the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) omnibus appropriations bill for this project. He also led the effort to increase funding to historic new levels for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Child Traumatic Stress Network, from $12 million to $94 million, and the CDC’s Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) data collection program, from $2 million to $9 million.

Durbin helped lead the effort in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 to provide $3 billion in school and community mental health funding, including millions of dollars for trauma-informed care programs in Chicago. Additionally, in 2018, Durbin and U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) created a Trauma Support in Schools program that was funded at $12 million in FY23 and resulted in $2.9 million to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

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