Programs
Mental Health Awareness in Education This program is designed to educate agency personnel, law enforcement officers, teachers, counselors, parents, staff and students about 14 mental health disorders common in adolescents, including suicide, depression, self mutilation, anxiety and eating disorders.
The program includes the 54 page Adolescent Mental Health Handbook. The user friendly, research based handbook provides definitions, management tips (what to say and do and what not to say and do), a referral section, medication table, substance abuse and chemical dependency identification chart, and an index of symptoms.
The Handbook can be used in teacher education classes, as text for junior and senior high health classes, and as supplemental text in college courses in psychology and social work. The program emphasizes referral and teaches participants to describe what they may observe in an adolescent, leaving final diagnosis to the clinician.
The goal of MHAE is to:
- Bring awareness and understanding of mental illness
- Help those in contact with adolescents to begin to identify, but not diagnose, mental illness
- Reduce the stigma of mental illness
- Provide information about medications and their side effects, if any
- Help identify Drug and Alcohol Abuse in adolescents
- Avoid the downward health spiral that can occur in untreated mental illness
- Alleviate adolescent suicide
Intervention and Prevention Our referral hotline provides a listening ear and referrals to professionals, people in need and to their loved ones.
MHAGC’s 300 page Mental Health, Addiction and Social Services directory serves as the resource and referral guide for schools, social service agencies, churches, clinicians, and out patient clinics.
Volunteerism Chicago’s leading educators, health care professionals, social service providers, executives and caring friends join together for the mental health of Greater Chicago.
Partnerships MHAGC relies on strong relationships with city, county and state officials to carry out its mission.
Social and Emotional Learning As a member of the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership, MHAGC advocates for social and emotional skill building in schools and clinics, and mental health care for all children in need. MHAGC has implemented social development projects at Chicago’s Chase and Gillespie Elementary Schools.