City council holds hearing on mental health clinic closures

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Patients, unions and other critics got a long-sought-after hearing at city council on mental health care in Chicago.

The city closed half of its mental health care clinics more than two years ago, citing the budget. Some of the alderman who voted in favor of the closures now say they made a mistake. But Chicago's Public Health Commissioner Dr. Bechara Choucair says the system is stronger than ever.

"Thousands more people today have access to mental health services than they had before because of those targeted investments," said Dr. Choucair.

"We made that vote and it was probably the worse vote I every made and I apologized sometime later about the closures," said Ald. Bob Fioretti, 2nd Ward.

Despite demands that those centers re-open, nothing was expected to emerge from Tuesday's hearing.