PressRelease

CHICAGO - State Representative La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, and community leaders will hold a press conference on Saturday, May 11, 2019 at 10 a.m. at the Westside Community Triage and Wellness Center to push for emergency prevention funding for the West Side’s current and ongoing opioid crisis. The campaign will call for long-term funding for the prevention of substance use disorders.
“We are entering National Prevention Week, which will take place May 12-18, 2019,” said Ford. “We call on community and government agencies to join us in advancing prevention efforts during this current opioid overdose crisis. We want to prevent people from using drugs in the first place, and we want to prevent people from dying of overdoses. We are advocating for state funding to provide emergency money to West Side agencies and the West Side Heroin Task Force in their efforts to fight the opioid crisis.”
 
A recent Chicago Tribune article notes that persons with opioid use disorder have a higher risk for suicides, signaling the need for additional mental health treatment in areas severely affected by the opioid overdose crisis, including the West Side of Chicago. Previously severe cuts to mental health funding have affected community agencies ability to respond to mental health problems associated with the current opioid overdose epidemic. Treating mental health conditions may prevent people from starting to use drugs like heroin.
 
People can be prevented from dying of an overdose if they are treated quickly with naloxone, or Narcan. Ford is advocating for additional funding for a campaign to increase community awareness about how naloxone can save lives, especially in highly affected areas. This campaign will include increased access to naloxone.
 
Donald Dew of Habilitative Systems Inc. is one of many community leaders joining Rep. Ford in the effort voicing concern for the crucial opioid prevention funding.
“It is imperative that we seek all the resources we can to end this crisis,” said Dew. “Fighting the opioid crisis will be a long battle not only for the West Side, but for Illinois as well. Our organizations plan on sending a letter to the governor to request emergency funding for the West Side. That is why it is important for community agencies with a stake in this fight to join our letter campaign to show Illinois the severity of the situation we are facing.”
Leaders will meet for the press conference at The Westside Community Triage & Wellness Center. The center is a strategic partnership between Habilitative Systems, Inc., Bobby E. Wright Comprehensive Mental Health Center., and Cook County Health and Hospital System to mitigate violence and trauma on Chicago's West Side.
 
WHO: State Representative La Shawn K. Ford; Donald Dew (Habilitative Systems, Inc.; Dr. Rashad Saafir (Bobby E Wright CBHC); Jackie Glass (Hartgrove Behavioral Health); Brad Cummings (The Voice News); Al Orsello (Prevention Partnership, Inc.); West Garfield Park Community Stakeholders (Fathers Who Care); Chicago Recovery Alliance; The Loretto Hospital; other stakeholders
 
WHAT: Press Conference Calling for Emergency Opioid Prevention Funding
 
WHEN: Saturday, May 11, 2019, 10 a.m.
 
WHERE: Westside Community Triage and Wellness Center, 4133 W. Madison, Chicago, Illinois 60624
  • 1978

    HSI is formed and incorporated by the Claire Christian United Methodist Church Ministry and becomes the first African American agency to operate a licensed group home (Drake House) for adolescent boys, and to operate a sheltered workshop for people with Developmental Disabilities. From 1978 - 1992, HSI grew in public funding from $350k - $12M Read More

  • 1980

    HSI opened a special education school and a developmental training center, providing employment and housing opportunities for people with developmental disabilities and reducing the need for institutionalization.

  • 1996

    First human service agency in Illinois to serve as fiscal agent to the South African Health Care Coalition. Shipped two ambulances to South Africa. Assembled 8000 telephone for the 1996 Democratic Nation Convention. - Became one of the largest child welfare agencies in Illinois servicing over 500 children in foster care and adoption and employing over 200 foster parents and staff

  • 1997

    HSI expanded pillow manufacturing contracts to United and Eastern Airlines, also Amtrak passenger lines wile providing opportunities for training and employment for clients with developmental disabilities. - Opened and operated Ameritech and Peoples Gas Bill Payment Center.

  • 2002

    Completed five scattered site living facilities specially designed for persons with disabilities; This 5m project was funded with HUD 811 and City of Chicago funding.

  • 2003

    HSI Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Tour of the HSI Elois McCoy Village Apartments. - This $4.5M project was funded with HUD 202 and City of Chicago funding to construct the Elois McCoy 60 unit senior facility.

  • 2005

    HSI launches program to serve children of incarcerated parents and continues program through 2012. - In March 2005, HSI established a janitorial services franchise with ServiceMaster. AbleServ, Inc. a for profit subsidiary of HSI, operated through 2012, and secured cleaning contracts a Rush University Medical Center, Jesse Brown VA Hospital, ABC Bank and Coco-Cola.

  • 2009

    Collaborated with the Center for Research on Women and Gender (CRWG) at the University of Illinois at Chicago to submit the organization's first research grant with CRWG

  • 2010

    HSI is awarded an Illinois Senior Internet Adoption Coalition Broadband Technical Opportunity Program grant to provide low income Seniors and people with disabilities new computer skills, improved communication and better access to valuable information and combatting isolation.

  • 2011

    HSI celebrated the Grand Opening of the Enola A. Dew Apartments, a 60-unit apartment complex designed to provide affordable, state of the art senior housing. The complex is located at 4623 West Gladys. The addition of this facility adds to the quality of life for the elderly in this community. - Funding for this project provided by HUD and the City of Chicago.

  • 2012

    HSI expands it's services to the Englewood community to combat mental illness and violence through it's Urban Behavioral Health Services Institute (UBHSI)

  • 2013

    HSI secures funding to implement an electronic health records system.

  • 2014

    HSI collaborated with nine agencies to form an LLC as part of its implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

  • 2015-2016

    HSI's ability to serve the Westside's most vulnerable was severely impacted by the 2015-2016 state fiscal crisis, this also had a chilling effect on some of our most committed supporters such as foundations, major donors, and public funders.

  • 2017

    HSI receives $200,000 Restorative Grant for Adolescents. - HSI receives 4.7 Million three-year grant for Adults in Crisis/Mental Health and Opioid Addictions.

  • 2018

    The Westside Community Triage & Wellness Center is a strategic partnership between Habilitative Systems, Inc., Bobby E. Wright Comprehensive Mental Health Center, and Cook County Health and Hospital Systems to mitigate violence and trauma on Chicago’s Westside.

  • 2019

    Habilitative Sytems' Restorative Justice program receives recognition by Cook County Board President Preckwinkle for the major impact had on Chicago's Youth

  • 2020

    ; IDHS awards HSI $3.2 Million dollars to lead Counting on Chicago Coalition Census 2020 Initiative working with 30 agency sub recipients.

  • 2020

    Covid-19 Contract Tracing Program

  • 2021

    HSI Violence Prevencion Program

  • 2021

    HSI Violence Prevencion Program

  • 2021

    Westside Health Equity Collaborative Transforming healthcare for the Collaborative includes increasing convenient access to culturally responsive healthcare, supporting the unique and changing socio-economic needs of individuals and families, and developing a model with evidence-based best practices that link and align the efforts of community-based organizations and healthcare providers.

  • 2021

    R3 represents “RESTORE, REINVEST, and RENEW”, a plan established by the State of Illinois to target communities that have been severely under-served. The State, through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Administration, awarded grants to organizations located in communities that have been harmed by violence, excessive incarceration, and economic disinvestment.

  • 2021

    After School Matters® is a non-profit organization that provides life-changing after-school and summer program opportunities to nearly 19,000 Chicago high school teens each year.

  • 2021

    590 Crisis Expansion - A comprehensive and integrated crisis network” built on three pillars: statewide or regional call centers that can provide risk assessment and care coordination in real-time; 24/7 mobile units that can reach an individual in crisis in their home, workplace or other setting in a timely manner; and crisis stabilization centers that provide short-term care.

  • 2021

    COLLABORATIVE BRIDGES - Building strength in the community by constructing Collaborative Bridges across the gaps, now often fatal, among the scattered islands of service in the disadvantaged communities targeted by Illinois’ department of Healthcare and Family Serves (HFS)