C4 Among First in Nation to Pilot Mental Health ‘First Aid’ Project

(Chicago, IL) — Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) was selected as one of seven sites nationwide to pilot Mental Health First Aid, an innovative program to help the general public to provide ‘first aid’ to someone experiencing a mental health crisis.

C4 Regional Director Viviana Ploper and C4 Ridge Site Director Claudia Kottwitz participated in the initial February 4-8 training in Palm Springs, California, sponsored by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (NCCBH). Both members are now certified to present the MHFA training.

“It’s the mental health equivalent of CPR,” observes Ploper, who will conduct C4’s first training session –targeted for C4 nonclinical staff. “The 12-hour training focuses on the more common mental health crises of depression and anxiety, substance use, psychotic behavior and impulse and control disorders.”

“If someone is having a panic attack on a bus, an adult trained in mental health first aid could help the person,” explains Ploper.

American Psychiatric Foundation Recognizes C4 for Minority Mental Health Care

(Chicago, IL) — Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) has received a national award from the American Psychiatric Foundation for its achievements in community mental health for minorities.

The agency was one of four recipients nationwide to receive an Honorable Mention in the APF’s fifth annual Awards for Advancing Minority Health competition at the 2008 APF Annual Benefit in Washington, D.C. on May 3.

In announcing the award, the Foundation recognized C4 for “consistently implementing successful, innovative approaches … that include: actively recruiting staff and clinical leadership to reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of its population served; hiring parent advocates to breakdown cultural and racial barriers to treatment; and engaging in partnerships with other agencies to reach ethnic populations culturally resistant to mental health services.”

Drug Treatment Helps Push Down Illinois Prison Recidivism Rates, New Statistics Say

(Chicago, IL) – Since fiscal year 2004, Illinois has successfully rolled back recidivism rates from record levels, reduced the rate of new crime among parolees, slowed the prison population growth rate, and saved taxpayers more than $60 million, according to new state statistics.

Governor Rod Blagojevich and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) reported at a press conference in Chicago on May 19 that the number of new convictions for crimes among parolees has decreased by over 18% from 4,567 in FY04 to 3,742 in FY07, the largest decline in state history.

Additionally, Governor Blagojevich and IDOC report:

• Total arrests among parolees experienced a 23% decline from FY04 to FY07.

• Participants in the Sheridan Drug Prison & Reentry program, which has been called a national model, have exhibited a 40% recidivism rate, lower than comparison groups.

• The prison population has increased by only 4.5% since the end of FY02, which is the slowest rate of growth over any similar time frame since the Illinois Department of Corrections was established in FY70.

• Reduction in repeat crimes has saved taxpayers an estimated $64 million in prison costs since 2004.

The figures stand in stark contrasts to Fiscal Years 1989 – 2005 when the state prison population doubled from 22,000 to 44,000, and the recidivism rate increased to nearly 55% — meaning that 55% of all inmates released from prison returned to prison within three years.

“The State of Illinois is leading the nation in its efforts to reduce crime and recidivism.” said Joan Petersilia, Professor Criminology, University of California, Irvine. “This is the type of progress that has required tremendous leadership by Governor Blagojevich and partnerships among both corrections and social service officials.”