CDPH recently launched the City of Chicago’s first Street Psychiatry model, a structured plan of care incorporating psychiatric and medical services being provided directly to people in community settings to close gaps in treatment and support continuity of care.

CDPH designed the model around the needs of the City’s highest-acuity population, specifically people experiencing homelessness or housing instability who are living with complex behavioral health needs and may not consistently connect with traditional care. The innovative behavioral health approach remains relatively uncommon nationwide, with New York City and Los Angeles among the few cities that have established similar models.

Ryann Billitteri (Projects Administrator) speaks with Chicago’s first Street Psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Jackson, about what this program of care entails, how it intends to extend care outside traditional clinical settings, and what drives the necessity and compassion for such treatment.

Learn more about CDPH’s behavioral health program at https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cdph/provdrs/behavioral_health.html

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to acknowledge survivors, their families, and those all around us impacted by domestic violence.

Laura Ng (Project Manager at Department of Family & Support Services) speaks with Carla R. Gutierrez (Chair of the Mayor’s Office’s Gender-Based Violence Task Force) and survivor Kimberly L. McGee (Taskforce liaison for the Survivor Leader Working Group) on defining domestic violence, the importance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, providing available resources, and why it’s important to talk about dispelling myths and normalizations.

If you need help, contact the 24/7 Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at 877-863-6338. For more information on supportive services, please visit chi.gov/dvhelp.

This respiratory illness season, CDPH strongly recommends everyone receives the flu, COVID-19, and RSV immunizations recommended for them.

Dr. Brian Borah, State Epidemiologist at Illinois Department of Public Health (and the former, frequent host of Healthy Chicago Podcast), returns to the show to speak with Dr. Alex Sloboda, CDPH Medical Director of Immunizations and Emergency Preparedness, about the updated respiratory illness vaccination guidance, why it’s important to listen to evidence-based advice, and how everyone can stay safe as illnesses increase across the country.

CDPH provides no-cost flu and COVID-19 vaccines for Chicagoans at CDPH Immunization Walk-In clinics and a variety of community vaccination events this fall and winter. Further information can be found at https://chi.gov/4noLali

CDPH, in alignment with Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Illinois Immunization Advisory Committee, endorses the evidence-based consolidated respiratory virus immunization recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, and American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists.

Learn more at https://chi.gov/4Ax6BaT