(Chicago, IL) — The Thresholds mental health agency announced on June 9 that it has recently received grants totaling $114,000 to help improve services for people with mental illness:
- $64,000 from the Retirement Research Foundation for an 18-month study of medical care for older adults with serious mental illness. The lifespans of people with serious mental illness are 25 years shorter than average, research shows. This study will examine combined physical and mental health care and compare results of the integrated approach with those of traditional medical care. Findings will help guide the mental health field in best practices for treatment of medical problems.
- $50,000 from the Michael Reese Health Trust to support a full-time staff member who will provide on-site consultation and training in services for people who have serious mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse conditions. The Health Trust’s support will allow Thresholds to train more staff in Integrated Dual Disorders Treatment, an innovative, stage-based program proven effective by scientific evidence.
With 30 service locations and more than 75 housing developments in the Chicagoland area, Thresholds serves about 6,000 people with mental illness each year.
