One out of every eight people live with a mental health disorder. Many of them cannot receive the care they need due to the shortage of mental health providers. In Illinois, there are only 13.8 behavioral health care providers for every 10,000 residents; this means 4.8 million Illinois residents live in a mental health shortage […]
On May 8, The Family Institute at Northwestern University honored former Chicago Cub and 2016 World Series MVP Ben Zobrist with the Mental Health Community Impact Award at the 2024 Gratitude Gala. Now in its second year, the gala was held at Galleria Marchetti in the River West area of Chicago. The Family Institute at […]
La Llorona is a traditional Mexican myth about Maria who, in a fit of jealousy and rage, drowns her children in a river after being spurned by her husband. Overwhelmed with grief after realizing what she has done, Maria is condemned to wander the Earth, searching for her lost children while wailing mournfully. My abuelo […]
July 2023 saw record-breaking floods on Chicago’s Westside, causing severe home and property damage in the city’s Austin neighborhood. As a longtime Austin resident and community advocate, Jacqueline Reed spearheaded relief efforts, mobilizing resources and volunteers to help 75 homes become habitable. That same month, Firefighter and Paramedic Nicholas DeLeon encountered an active shooter at […]
The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that over six million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. Each of these people need care, and that care is frequently provided by over 11 million unpaid caregivers: spouses, siblings, children, or sometimes just concerned friends and neighbors. More than half of these caregivers are employed […]
Born out of a single overnight retreat in Chicago for a dozen men trying to rebuild their lives as they recover from homelessness and addiction, the Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP) has grown into a movement with over 600 volunteers in 20 cities across the U.S., Canada and Ireland. Even though ISP is under the umbrella […]
If a dancer sprains an ankle or tears their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) — common ailments in a field where they train like Olympic athletes — they immediately see a doctor or physical therapist for assessment. But what if the injury is on the inside, invisible to the outside world? For artists at the top […]
Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. The American Red Cross must collect enough blood every day to meet the needs of accident and burn victims; heart surgery and organ transplant patients; and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease — the most common genetic blood disorder in the U.S. […]
This year, from Oct. 2 to 8, we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week—a national, week-long observance that discusses, examines, and advocates for mental health conditions. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which founded the tradition in 1990, the series also aims to “raise awareness of mental illness, fight discrimination, and provide support. “ […]
Fentanyl has been called the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered. It is, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. The staggering numbers show that in 2021 alone, 107,375 Americans died of drug overdose and poisoning, with 67% of those deaths involving synthetic opioids […]
