New Chicago Center offers Immediate Mental Health Support for Young Adults
CHICAGO, IL – A new mental health center is opening its doors in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, aiming too provide a much-needed resource for young people experiencing mental health crises. SHFT Behavioral Health,located at 730 N. Franklin St., No. 510, will offer both urgent adn routine mental healthcare specifically tailored for individuals aged 10-30.
Currently, families frequently enough resort to hospital emergency rooms when seeking immediate mental health support for their children and young adult relatives, due to a lack of dedicated facilities. SHFT Behavioral Health seeks to change that.
“It can feel so overwhelming and daunting to think about reaching out for help. And were do you go? and what do you do?” explained Holley Brandchaft-White, SHFT Behavioral Health’s co-founder and chief clinical officer. “It’s exciting to think about an alternative that is much better suited to support mental health issues.”
The need for such a facility is significant.according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, mental health and substance use disorders accounted for nearly 50% of all hospitalizations for Illinois youth between 2018 and 2022.
SHFT clinicians, like Olivia Buckley, hope to provide a vital bridge in care.”We want to normalize crises,” Buckley stated. “it’s OK to go through them, and there’s a place to go for that.” She added that the center aims to offer immediate support and prevent unnecessary emergency room visits.
Local officials are also optimistic about the center’s potential impact. 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly believes SHFT Behavioral Health is a crucial step towards improving access to mental healthcare. “It is incredibly challenging for people to get regular mental health care, and this is one way to address that issue,” he said. “My hope is that SHFT can be successful here and expand, bringing this mission to more neighborhoods in Chicago. It’s desperately needed.”
SHFT Behavioral Health officially opens on Monday and will provide a dedicated space for young people to access the mental health support they need.
