>>> MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON IS  VOWING A DIFFERENT RESPONSE TO  MENTAL HEALTH CARE THAN HIS TWO  PREDECESSORS.
HE SAYS HE WILL  REOPEN  SIX PUBLICLY RUN MENTAL  HEALTH CLINIC THAT CLOSED MORE   THAN A DECADE AGO.
HERE HE IS   AT HIS INAUGURATION YESTERDAY.
>> LET'S BRING TOGETHER THE   PRIVATE SECTOR, THE PUBLIC  SECTOR, THE COUNTY, THE STATE,   AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO   FIND THE BEST SOLUTIONS FOR   DELIVERING THE SERVICES,   INCLUDING REOPENING OUR MENTAL   HEALTH CARE CENTERS ACROSS THE   CITY OF CHICAGO.
>> JOINING US ARE DR. ERIC  REINHARDT  AND PSYCHOANALYST OF  NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY  AND  ARTURO , DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND  VIOLENCE PREVENTION AT BRIGHTON  PARK NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL  OF   THE COLLABORATIVE FOR COMMUNITY  WELLNESS.
WE ALSO REACHED OUT   TO THE CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF   PUBLIC HEALTH TO JOIN THIS   CONVERSATION BUT THEY DECLINED.
TONIGHT WE DO APPRECIATE BOTH   OF YOU BEING HERE.
FIRST WITH   YOU, DR. REINHARDT.
EXPLAIN FOR  US THE MENTAL HEALTH CARE   STRUCTURE THAT THE CITY HAS IN   PLACE NOW.
AT LEAST THE PUBLIC   INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> RIGHT NOW THERE ARE FIVE   CITY RUN MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF MENTAL   HEALTH STRUCTURE IN CHICAGO IS   PRIVATE.
SOME OF THAT STRUCTURE  IS FEDERALLY QUALIFIED.
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
CLINICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHAT   WE LACK IS AN INFRASTRUCTURE TO  RESPOND TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE   GREATEST NEED WHO DON'T   NECESSARILY HAVE GOOD ENOUGH   INSURANCE TO GET INTO A LOT OF   THOSE PROVIDERS.
>> THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY NEXT  QUESTION FOR YOU.
GIVEN THE   LOOSE NETWORK OF NONPROFITS OR   FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH   CENTERS THAT EXIST NOW, ARE   THERE BARRIERS FOR THE AVERAGE  CHICAGOAN  WHO MIGHT WANT TO   ACCESS THIS HEALTHCARE?
>> YES.
ABSOLUTELY.
WE SEE LONG  WAGES FOR SERVICES.
WE SEE A   LOT OF GAPS IN COVERAGE.
UNFORTUNATELY WHAT WE SEE ALSO   IS A LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
WE  REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TYPES OF  SERVICES  AND TYPES ARE .
>> ACCORDING TO CHICAGO   DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH,   THERE ARE STILL FIVE CITY RUN   MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS THAT ARE   OPEN.
THEY ONLY SEE A VERY   SMALL FRACTION OF THE TOTAL   NUMBER OF PATIENTS THAT THE   CITY SEES.
THEY GO TO SOME OF   THOSE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
SO   WHAT IS THE ARGUMENT THEN FOR   REOPENING THOSE MENTAL HEALTH  CLINICS?
>> YOU HAVE TO PUT THIS IN   HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE.
OVER   THE LAST 40 YEARS SINCE RONALD   REAGAN AND THEN BILL CLINTON,   WE HAVE HAD  A DEFAMATION OF   OUR PUBLIC HEALTH   INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE U.S.
IT   USED TO BE UNDER HAROLD   WASHINGTON.
THE CITY OF CHICAGO  IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROVIDERS  OF AMBULATORY  CARE SERVICES IN  CHICAGO.
THAT HAS ALL GONE   AWAY.
THAT DOES NOT EXIST AT   ALL ANYMORE.
ALL THE MONEY THAT  USED TO BE GIVEN TO PUBLIC   INFRASTRUCTURE TO PROVIDE FOR   PEOPLE'S NEEDS HAVE GONE TO   NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, SOME   OF WHICH DO EXCELLENT WORK ,   BUT AS DR. JUST SAID, THERE   ISN'T AN ACCOUNTABILITY   INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHAT YOU HAVE   IS LAYERS AND LAYERS OF   GRANTMAKING WHERE YOU HAVE A   WHOLE BUNCH OF REALLY SMART   PEOPLE SPENDING ALL OF THEIR   TIME TRYING TO GET GRANTS.
HUGE  AND EFFICIENCY.
TRYING TO   PRIORITIZE THEIR OWN   ORGANIZATIONAL REPRODUCTION    AND BUDGET OVER PROVIDING CARE   TO PEOPLE .
NOT THROUGH ANY   FAULT OF THEIR OWN.
THAT IS   JUST WHAT THE STRUCTURE AND   FORCES ON THEM.
WHEN YOU HAVE A  PRIVATE HEALTHCARE  INFRASTRUCTURE , YOU HAVE A   HORRIFIC OUTCOME.
WE HAVE THE  WORST HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN THE  ENTIRE  PUBLIC WORLD.
DEVELOPED WORLD.
THIS IS A   CONSEQUENCE OF DECADES OF  --.
THE ARGUMENT FOR REBUILDING    PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE NOW IS,   LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE.
IT IS AN  ABSOLUTE FAILURE.
WE HAVE TO   BUILD ANOTHER KIND OF MODEL.
YOU HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE IN THE   U.S.
THIS IS A MODEL WHERE YOU   CAN TAKE PUBLIC DOLLARS AND   MAKE SURE THEY ARE GOING TOWARD   PROVIDING SERVICES TO PEOPLE   WHO NEED THEM MOST.
>> AS YOU SAID, HAVING THE CITY  HAVE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY FOR   THE OUTCOMES  RATHER THAN   THROWING MONEY AT AN   ORGANIZATION AND NOT KEEPING   TRACK OF WHAT HAPPENS.
ARTURO,   GIVEN THE BARRIERS WE TALKED  ABOUT  AND GIVEN SOME OF THE   ISSUES THAT DR. REINHARDT   BROUGHT UP, HOW WOULD REOPENING  MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS RUN BY   THE CITY HELP SOLVE SOME OF   THESE THINGS IN YOUR EYES?
>> THE ADMINISTRATION REALLY   SET UP A HOUSE OF CARDS.
WHAT   WE SEE WITH THIS LACK OF   ACCOUNTABILITY IS THAT THE   CONTRACTS THAT ARE PROVIDERS    -- WE ARE LOOKING AT ACTUAL   NUMBERS FROM FISCAL YEAR 2022.
THEY HAVE  AN ABSURD RANGE.
ANYWHERE FROM 16 PEOPLE TO OVER  4000 PEOPLE.
SO EVEN THOUGH   THE CITY TOUTED THAT IT WAS   SERVING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, WE  DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE SERVICES   ACTUALLY PROVIDED.
WORSE YET,   THAT FUNDING ALL GOES AWAY    WHEN FEDERAL RELIEF EXPIRES IN   A YEAR OR TWO.
FOR US, BUILDING  THIS PERMANENT INFRASTRUCTURE   AND BUILDING IT INTO THE CITY   AS PART OF A PERMANENT   STRUCTURE OF SERVICE OF CARE   FOR THE COMMUNITY RATHER THAN   THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY IS   AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY THE   ADMINISTRATION NOW HAS  TO MAKE  THEM A RESOURCE FOR EVERYBODY   JUST LIKE WE HAVE CURRENTLY    WITH LIBRARIES AND PARKS THAT   ARE AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO  EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE   HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY NOW.
PART OF THE NONPOLICE CRISIS   RESPONSE PROGRAM THAT CAN BE   ESTABLISHED AND ROLLED OUT   CITYWIDE.
>> SOME OF THOSE PLACES LIKE   LIBRARIES AND PARKS ARE OFFERED  AS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL SIDE OF THE   COSTS AS BEING A REASON  FOR   NOT SUSTAINING THE CENTERS.
WHAT WOULD IT COST?
>> IT WOULD COST A LOT OF   MONEY, FRANKLY.
CARING FOR   PEOPLE COSTS MONEY.
BUT IF   THERE'S ANYTHING THE GOVERNMENT   SHOULD BE INVESTING MONEY IN,   IT IS CARING FOR THE   POPULATION.
WHAT WE HAVE IN   CHICAGO AND PLACES AROUND THE   U.S. IS A CHOICE TO PRIORITIZE   PUNISHMENT AND REACTION THROUGH  HEALTHCARE TREATMENT, WHICH IS  REACTING , OR THAT CAN BE   THROUGH POLICING AND RESPONDING   TO VIOLENCE THAT HAS ALREADY   OCCURRED.
WE HAVE   SYSTEMATICALLY FAILED TO INVEST  IN PREVENTATIVE STRUCTURE.
IT   WILL BE EXPENSIVE.
>> THESE ARE ARGUMENTS OF THE