@CHIdocumenters As of right now, I am still waiting for the webinar to start.

@CHIdocumenters The webinar has started, though the camera is off.

@CHIdocumenters It was just announced that the camera for the webinar is not working. It is also very difficult to hear, so I will try my best!

@CHIdocumenters Right now, Board of Health President Janet Lin is speaking. From what I am able to hear, it sounds like they are planning on downsizing the department.

@CHIdocumenters I can see the screen being shared.

@CHIdocumenters Dr. Stephanie Black is currently presenting on the Disease Control Conference, though it is nearly impossible to hear what she's saying.

@CHIdocumenters The webinar just disconnected. Will keep everyone updated.

@CHIdocumenters The webinar is back. There is nothing on the screen, but it is much easier to hear now.

@CHIdocumenters According to President Lin, the most impacted branches impacted by vacancies from cuts will be in disease control, which was mainly dedicated to handling COVID.

@CHIdocumenters The Department of Health is also responsible for inspecting restaurants and other places food is served. They are looking to grow this section, because they are currently unable to meet the demand. The goal is also to expand the mental health department.

@CHIdocumenters The Board is trying to redirect some money dedicated to COVID for other things. However, these requests have been denied, meaning they cannot use it for anything aside from COVID.

@CHIdocumenters The Board does not have a lot of "flexible funding" because they are so heavily dependent on grants.

@CHIdocumenters The Board does not get a ton of funding from the state because Chicago is one of 10 big cities that receives federal funding.

@CHIdocumenters The sound has gone out again for me. It sounds like the entire meeting is passing around a laptop and using that as the speaker.

@CHIdocumenters I am back in the meeting, but sound has not been reconnected.

@CHIdocumenters I can see the screen, however.

@CHIdocumenters Volume is back! Matt Richards -- Deputy Commissioner of Behavioral Health -- is no presenting on mental health.

@CHIdocumenters Currently, five mental health clinics are open and two more will be open by the end of the year.

@CHIdocumenters Blue = already open sights, red = sights to open by the end of the year

@CHIdocumenters The Department is now changing to same-day med access. Now, people will not need to go to therapy through the city in order to get their meds.

@CHIdocumenters This allows people coming through the 911 program and others better access to meds.

@CHIdocumenters There has been significant expansions this year when it comes to staff. All new mental health clinics are also being re-designed.

@CHIdocumenters Evening hours are now being offered at all mental health facilities.

@CHIdocumenters Richards mentioned a report conducted by the city called THE PEOPLE'S VISION FOR MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. Here is the link: chicago.gov/content/dam/ci…

@CHIdocumenters There has been significant amount of hiring done this year, though there is now a freeze. However, Richards said there may be some exceptions.

@CHIdocumenters CARE is Chicago's program to address mental health concerns rather than the police. The pilot program ended last Sept., but Mayor Johnson plans on making this more permanant. chicago.gov/city/en/sites/…

@CHIdocumenters The new model starting next week. Before, the program was only in four districts. Two new districts are being added as well as a city-wide team.

@CHIdocumenters CARE is hiring in an incremental fashion as the program expands.

@CHIdocumenters Here is a graph being presented on responses. There were no arrests and very few uses of force. According to Richards, mental health calls are safe. There are roles for CARE teams to play with no police presence.

@CHIdocumenters Here is a model of how staffing will work within this new structure:

@CHIdocumenters The management teams will allow additional services to be given to people. The city-wide team allows CARE to meet people where they are even if they aren't in a district covered by the program.

@CHIdocumenters The CARE Overdose Response Team focuses on care post-overdose. The people who are most likely to experience an overdose is a past overdose. The biggest challenge faced was actually contacted people they were helping.

@CHIdocumenters This was difficult because a lot of people trying to be found did not have a phone or were unhoused. Most people who received services did so in a private setting.

@CHIdocumenters The CARE ORT was most successful in helping non-Hispanic, non-Black people over the age of 60.

@CHIdocumenters To improve, the team is trying to intervene before victims leave the hospital. They also are trying to go to the geographical places overdoses tend to occur before the overdose happens.

@CHIdocumenters The Mental Health Expansion Initiative has 41 community partners.

@CHIdocumenters People who are not mental health professionals (trusted parties) are also being trained in mental health assistance. One of these is suicide prevention training.

@CHIdocumenters The instructor cohort is diverse and many different languages are spoken.

@CHIdocumenters Here is information on which parts of the city are most impacted by high suicide rates. This is telling the program where to place their resources.

@CHIdocumenters Richards is discussing the relation of homelessness to behavioral health struggles.

@CHIdocumenters The Haven model: 40thward.org/2024/02/introd…

@CHIdocumenters This is in Lincoln Square. They took the model of non-congregate housing and onsite mental health service. Those who are eligible have to be unhoused and have a history of "cycling" though city services.

@CHIdocumenters The program operator is VOA Illinois: voaillinois.org

@CHIdocumenters There are multiple referral pathways into the program: emergency departments, police, schools, etc.

@CHIdocumenters Referrals are hyper-local.

@CHIdocumenters Here is the project status and timeline:

@CHIdocumenters The Haven has been completely redesigned to be beneficial to those experiencing mental health crises by architects familiar with the matter.

@CHIdocumenters Richards is now taking questions.

@CHIdocumenters Richards wants to Board to think about "how the program fits into a local health department."

@CHIdocumenters Right now, the program does not formally partner with aging centers. However, they have started partnering with other settings such as libraries.

@CHIdocumenters It's known that older adults are at a higher risk of social isolation which is a huge risk factor for other mental health struggles.

@CHIdocumenters It is expected that the three new clinics will be able to serve between 900-1500 additional people. They also offer vaccines, primary care and other additional resources for patients.

@CHIdocumenters Another outcome measure and goal is to reduce hospitalization rates.

@CHIdocumenters At the site in Pilsen, five of six clinicians are multi-lingual.

@CHIdocumenters The floor is now open to public comment. Commenters are given 3 minutes

@CHIdocumenters The first commenter is a doctor and former commissioner who's name I did not catch. He is emphasizing the need for the Department of Health.

@CHIdocumenters He is now discussing the "epidemic" of maternal-child health especially for Black women. He is proposing they reopen the Englewood maternal resource and to work on reaching our pre-birth. He is also advocating for the reopening of the vaccine clinic in Englewood.

@CHIdocumenters The doctor's name was Howard Ehrman . linkedin.com/in/howard-ehrm…

@CHIdocumenters Joy Burton is now commenting on water and air quality throughout the city.

@CHIdocumenters CORRECTION: Joy Bunton

@CHIdocumenters She is now discussing COVID.

@CHIdocumenters She is asking the Department to do anything to reduce COVID infections aside from just suggesting vaccinations.

@CHIdocumenters The Board of Health is thanking everyone for their patience regarding the technical issues today.

@CHIdocumenters There is one more public comment from within the meeting.

@CHIdocumenters This speaker is from an organization focused on HIV/AIDS prevention that is completely Black led. She is talking about the racial disparities in new cases while the majority of grant funding goes to white-led organizations.

@CHIdocumenters The speaker is urging the Department to look at the budget to have the funding sent to where cases are at the highest level.

@CHIdocumenters The meeting is now adjourned.