PILSEN — A city-operated health clinic is set to reopen Friday in Pilsen with long-awaited free mental health services for locals.
The clinic at 1713 S. Ashland Ave., which has been renamed the Pilsen South Ashland Health Hub, will offer mental health services and immunizations, even for people who are uninsured, and services for those in the Women, Infants and Children program, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health website.
The clinic reopens 9:30 a.m. Friday, according to a health department newsletter.
The clinic’s reopening comes as Chicago looks to reverse years of divestment of mental health services since the city closed all but five public clinics in 2012 under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
In May, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the city was adding mental health services to three existing public health clinics, including the one in Pilsen. Johnson’s announcement was part of an effort to expand access to mental health services citywide.
According to city officials, more than 300,000 Chicago residents are waiting for mental health services, an issue that’s pronounced in the city’s Latino communities.
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