In 2012, Chicago’s Mayor Emanuel announced the shuttering of six mental health care clinics around the city. In April, I shuttered myself inside one of them along with dozens of former patients and allies in order to document their first disobedience protest in their attempt to push the mayor to re-open them. For six months following, I continued to document this group that call themselves the Mental Health Movement.
The images below reflect the stress of attempting to provide alternatives to mental health care for former patients. In 2015, the city said they would give MHM a chance to voice their frustrations at a City Council meeting, only to be met with filibustering. To this day, these clinics remain closed and two former patients have passed. Five years later I plan on returning this spring to follow up.
The images below reflect the stress of attempting to provide alternatives to mental health care for former patients. In 2015, the city said they would give MHM a chance to voice their frustrations at a City Council meeting, only to be met with filibustering. To this day, these clinics remain closed and two former patients have passed. Five years later I plan on returning this spring to follow up.
Images one through 15 show the first civil disobedience protest.
Here are portraits of some of those who were arrested in civil disobedience protests and camps that were set up across the street from the Woodlawn Clinic and the Northwest Clinic in Logan Square. The North Side clinic has since been replaced with two dance clubs. Pictured here are three therapists with allies that include some of their former patients. Some months after these portraits were taken, community organizers decided to take down the camp at the Logan Square location due to lack of volunteer resources. Feeling the stress of attempting to provide healing spaces for those recently separated from mental health care services, community organizers held a restorative justice healing circle at the Woodlawn Clinic in the summer of 2012. |
Since the six clinics were closed, two of its former patients, Helen Morley (pictured in purple) and Jeanette Hanson (pictured in photo six) have died.
The 2012 clinics mass shuttering is not the first time the city has done so. Uptown’s neighborhood underwent closing several clinics under President Reagan. This mass closing resulted in many that were forced to live on the streets because they were not considered ready for outpatient care. Consequently, many of them landed and continue to live in the Cook County Jail, which houses some of the nation’s highest numbers of those in need of mental health care services. The jail continues to be filled with former patients in need of mental health treatment.
The 2012 clinics mass shuttering is not the first time the city has done so. Uptown’s neighborhood underwent closing several clinics under President Reagan. This mass closing resulted in many that were forced to live on the streets because they were not considered ready for outpatient care. Consequently, many of them landed and continue to live in the Cook County Jail, which houses some of the nation’s highest numbers of those in need of mental health care services. The jail continues to be filled with former patients in need of mental health treatment.
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