CHATHAM — A new wellness center in Chatham is offering mental health support in an area known as a health care desert.
Chatham neighbors can now have their mental health care needs met at Trilogy’s wellness center, 8541 S. State St. The center, which accepts Medicaid, is taking new clients and referrals for outpatient services, including individual and group therapy. Trained specialists can help people manage mental health symptoms, develop coping skills and improve daily functioning.
Trilogy, a Chicago-based nonprofit, has supported people in mental health recovery for over 50 years. The nonprofit took over the former Mercy Medical building in Chatham late last year and has been operating the Ujima Point drop-in center at the State Street health complex.
While work to overhaul the building is still underway, there was a “crucial need” to open its mental health services to clients “sooner rather than later,” said Susan Doig, Trilogy’s CEO.
“We’ve known that this area is a mental health desert, and people who don’t have access to commercial insurance have more barriers to getting mental health care,” Doig said. “Being able to offer these services in Chatham is key for the health of the community. It should’ve happened years ago but there’s no better time than the present.”
A 2023 report by the Chicago Sun-Times found that suicide rates are higher for Black Chicagoans now than before the pandemic. A 2021 Chicago Department of Health data brief found that Black Chicagoans are “more likely to experience serious psychological distress in their everyday lives compared to non-black Chicagoans.”
Trilogy has invested $3.3 million into the Chatham building, Doig said. Leaders launched the “Breaking Down Walls for Mental Health” campaign last year to raise the final $1.7 million for the $5 million overhaul of the facility into a welcoming place where neighbors can have all their health needs in one place, Doig said.
Construction on the 24,000-square-foot building will be done in “phases,” Doig said.
Phase one, which includes adding space for team meetings and mental health awareness training, will begin in the next few months and could be complete by the end of the year, Doig said. The center will have a pharmacy and shower and laundry facilities for those facing homelessness.
Neighbors will be able to visit the Trilogy center for couples and family therapy, services for children and teens, and intensive community outreach programs.
The nonprofit hopes to one day collaborate with an integrated health partner to offer psychiatry and primary care under one roof, Doig said.
“People are much more aware and willing to talk about mental health than they were before the pandemic,” Doig said. “We want to highlight that it’s crucial for every community to have access because everyone is touched by mental health in their life in some way.”
Neighbors interested in receiving services at Trilogy can call 773-382-4060 or email intake@trilogyinc.org.
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