Southside Chicago communities such as  Englewood and Washington Park lack mental health facilities as opposed to communities in the Northside of Chicago such as Lakeview and Lincoln Park. This is not a coincidence. This is a deep-rooted issue that requires education, intervention, and trust.

The communities of Englewood and Washington Park consist mainly of African Americans, a group that has constantly suffered from racial discrimination, inequality, and oppression on many levels to a very high degree unlike their racial counterparts who mainly reside in communities up north such as Lincoln Park and Lake View. 

The Chicago Health Atlas reports that 94% of Englewood’s population suffers from psychological stressors and are not met with the proper care that is needed to improve their mental state compared to communities on the Northside of Chicago such as  Lincoln Park that have a rate of 49%. That is almost double the amount. Similar trends are seen amongst Washington Park and Lakeview as well. 

Why is this even relevant? Consider the drastic difference in the reality of these two areas. Northside communities do not experience much violence, have a higher rate of medical providers and facilities, are of a higher economic status, and have a higher rate of receiving adequate care. This is not the same for Southside neighborhoods. Though these communities are within the same city, it appears to be two different worlds. 

Is there a simple way to reverse this issue? No. Is there at least a beginning? Absolutely, and it all starts with intervening mental health issues that residents of the Southside may suffer from that stem from their environment when they are first exposed to violence. 

The lack of mental health resources especially affects young, impressionable, and developing  adolescent minds. According to The WHO (World Health Organization), 1 in 7 children/adolescents suffer from anxiety, depression and behavioral disorders. That translates to over 83,000 young minds that are suffering each day. That is 83,000 too many.

“If we can intervene earlier in a child’s life and offer support and resources to them and their families, we will see fewer students in crisis as teens”, one of Mike Shaver’s, President and CEO of Brightpoint, many mission statements that aim to support the mental wellbeing of the youth of Illinois.  

I urge the entirety of Chicago who values the lives of future generations of this city to sign this petition in order to raise awareness within these certain areas of Chicago and call Mayor Brandon Johnson and the CDPH (Chicago Department of Public Health) to action–investing in schools, workplaces, and community spaces to increase the amount of free mental health facilities within Southside Chicago communities such as Englewood and Washington Park rather than closing them. 

If you believe for at least one second you could not bear to live in one of these affected individual’s shoes, sign the petition, support the cause, and decrease the amount of violence by supporting and healing the minds of the future generations of Chicago.