New wellness center coming to Garfield Park to support mental health in vulnerable communities

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A new 17,000-square-foot wellness center is coming to Garfield Park.

The center at 4223 West Lake Street is meant to address mental health in vulnerable communities.

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When people walk out of a hospital, they often usually do not receive immediate support. Collaborative Bridges says the wellness center is bridging that gap for mental health patients and meeting people where they are.

There is plenty of space to serve vulnerable communities on the West Side.

"Our real charge is making sure that people with behavioral health needs, substance abuse and mental health when they come from the hospital, that they don't go back in," said Collaborative Bridges Executive Director Patrick Dombrowski.

It is the transition from hospital to outpatient care, they say, can be the most difficult for a patient needing mental health services.

"There is nothing sadder than an individual who has lost hope. And so, after going through that cycle, there are some who, simply put, have given up," said Community Counseling Centers of Chicago CEO Kerri Brown.

Restoring hope is where the wellness center comes in, a collaboration of three West Side hospitals and five social service agencies under one roof.

It comes with an area for first responders to directly drop of patients, several therapy rooms, private phone booths and even a soon-to-be pharmacy. Brown, who helped make the center come to life, says in the first week after discharge, the suicide rate is 300 times higher for patients with a history of suicide risk.

"Before they ever discharge. And so that way they know us, if they're familiar with us," Brown said.

"I want the community to know that this is a safe environment. This is a place we are here to serve you," said Raenette Young with Collaborative Bridges Wellness Center.

The idea is to meet a patient where they are and, in some cases, walk them to the next appointment. It is about building trust and empowering patients.

"They see the possibility of change, words like if, and can become a reality for them," Brown said.

The center is open, and you do not need an appointment. You can walk right in and be served.