>> BLACK >> AND LATINO CHICAGOANS ARE SEEING INCREASING RATES OF SUICIDE.

THAT'S ACCORDING TO A STUDY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND EARLY INTERVENTION CAN PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE AND PREVENTING SUICIDES.

BUT RESEARCHERS SAY THEY ARE BECOMING HARDER TO ACCESS.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE, JONELLE GOODWILL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK AND THE STUDY'S AUTHORS.

AND LOOK AT DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION FOR THE BRIGHTON PARK NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

JONELLE, I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

YOU BEGAN WORKING ON THE RESEARCH.

WE NOTICED A GAP WHEN TALKING ABOUT CHICAGO VIOLENCE.

TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT.

CERTAINLY.

SO I MOVED TO CHICAGO IN 2020 TO BEGIN, IN FACT, A POSITION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.

>> AND DURING THAT TIME AGAIN TO READ LOCAL NEWS SITES, TOO, GET MORE ACCLIMATED WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I WAS MOVING INTO DURING THAT TIME OF THE CASE IN YEAR WITH SOME OF THE WRITINGS BY REPORTER AND JOURNALIST, THE KEY CHAVIS WHO WAS WRITING ABOUT INCREASE IN SUICIDES AMONG BLACK HAWK COUNTY RESIDENTS.

NOTICE THAT REALLY AND RESEARCH ACROSS THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, THERE'S A STRONG FOCUS ON HOMICIDE IN CHICAGO, BUT THAT SUICIDE HAS REALLY BEEN UNDER CITY TOPIC IN THIS CITY.

AND SO I FEEL LIKE IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY DELVE DEEPER AND TO BUILD UPON THE TEACHERS REALLY IMPORTANT WORK AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW SUICIDE IS IMPACTING RESIDENTS IN THE CITY.

>> AND THAT TOTAL.

WHAT IMPACT YOU SEEN FROM LACK MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND IN COMMUNITIES?

>> YEAH, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC AND I'M VERY GLAD CONTENTION, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THAT THE AREAS THAT HAVE SEEN HIGHEST RATES OF THIS INVESTMENTS ARE ALSO THE HIGHEST AREAS OF THE CITY, THE HIGHEST RATE BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN MADE IN 9-1-1, CALLS WE'VE SEEN THE IMPACT OF THIS INVESTMENT AND HOW IT'S LEFT COMMUNITIES WITHOUT RESOURCES AND 14 HAVING TO RELY ON A SYSTEM COULD DOESN'T EXIST.

>> THE STUDY ALSO POINTED TO THE YOUNGER AGES AT WHICH BLACK AND LATINO CHICAGOANS ARE COMMITTING SUICIDE.

WHAT STOOD OUT TO YOU THE MOST?

YEAH.

SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REALLY HEARTBREAKING ASPECTS OF DOING THIS WORK IS THAT THESE ARE NOT JUST NUMBERS.

THESE ARE.

>> FAMILY MEMBERS OR LOVED ONES OR FRIENDS AND MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

AND SO WHEN THINKING ABOUT HOW TO INTERVENE, RESEARCHERS AND CLINICIANS ARE TASKED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY SOME GROUPS ARE DYING BY SUICIDE EARLIER THAN OTHERS.

SO IN OUR STUDY, WE FOUND THAT BLACK AND LATINO CHICAGOANS ARE DYING BY SUICIDE BEFORE AGE 20 RELATIVE TO WHY AN ASIAN CHICAGO INTO A DYING AT LATER AGES.

I THINK THIS POINTS TO THE NEED FOR INTERVENTIONS IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND CHURCHES AND FAMILIES VISIT.

WHERE IS MAYBE PERSONS WHO ARE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH WHITE AND ASIAN CHICAGOANS MAY THINK ABOUT INTERVENING IN WORKPLACES ARE SPACES OLDER CHICAGO RESIDENTS ARE CURRENTLY ACTIVE AND WEATHER PATTERNS THAT YOU NOTICE OF HOW THEY WERE TAKING THEIR LIVES.

WELL, WE DID SEE SOME DIFFERENCES IN METHOD.

AND SO THIS IS VERY CONCERNING.

AND I THINK, AGAIN COMPLICATES OUR UNDERSTANDING OF VIOLENCE IN THE CITY.

WE DID SEE THAT BLACK MALES IN CHICAGO WERE MOST LIKELY TO DIE BY SUICIDE USING A FIREARM.

AND AGAIN, THAT IS I THINK IT'S VERY UNDERSTATED IN THE CITY WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT GUN VIOLENCE TRULY LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE.

BUT WE ALSO DID SEE, I THINK PATTERNS THAT WERE CONSISTENT WITH SUICIDE METHODS AND TRENDS GLOBALLY WHERE MEN ARE USING FIREARMS GENERALLY MORE OFTEN THAN WOMEN ARE.

>> AND THAT HELP UNCOVER STATIONS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, BE ENCOURAGED YOUNG PEOPLE.

>> YEAH, IT'S IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS EARLY AND OFTEN, RIGHT.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY CAN GET THE SUPPORT THEY NEED ARE AWARE WHY MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS AND WHAT TURN TO THE MOMENT PRICES?

HOW CAN SOMEBODY WHO IS GOING TO A MOMENT?

AGAIN, HE'S QUESTIONING THEIR LIVES WERE REALLY IN A MOMENT.

THAT CRITICAL ATTENTION CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE REACHING OUT TO SOMEBODY.

AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

WE WANT TO BE ABLE PREVENT OF ENGAGE PEOPLE IN A MOMENT OF NEED IT WITH WITH PARENTS REPORT.

>> AND, KNOW, BASINGER RESEARCH, WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE DISPARITIES THAT YOU SAW IN TERMS OF LIKE ACCESS ALSO TO MENTAL HEALTH?

CERTAINLY.

SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE ACTUALLY CITE THE TREATMENT, NOT TRAUMA REPORT IN THIS PEER REVIEWED STUDIES.

SO AGAIN, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REITERATE THAT RESEARCHERS ARE NOT THE ONES WHO ARE GOING TO ONLY BE THE CHANGES REALLY HAS TO BE REALLY A COMMUNITY EFFORT THAT'S LED BY POLICYMAKERS.

CLINICIANS RESEARCHERS.

ORGANIZERS.

AND SO I FEEL LIKE ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF MYSELF AND OTHER RESEARCHERS.

AND EVEN IN THIS STUDY IS TO AMPLIFY THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN HAPPENING, RIGHT?

SO I JUST GOT TO CHICAGO IN 2020.

I'M CERTAINLY NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO CARE ABOUT THIS BUT WE REALLY AMPLIFY, I THINK A LOT OF EFFORT BY TREATING NOT TRAUMA AND OTHER GROUPS ALREADY BEEN HAPPENING.

AND SO THROUGH THOSE SPACES, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THE REOPENING ANYTHING EXPANSION OF MORE PUBLICLY FUNDED MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDES OF THE CITY.

AND TALKING ABOUT THAT ARE LITTLE GROUPS LIKE YOURS ARE WORKING TO REOPEN CHICAGO'S PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS.

>> HOW WILL THIS HELP THOSE SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH CARE AS OPPOSED TO THOSE PRIVATE SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE?

>> YES.

DO OUR RESEARCH WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THAT WHEN THE CITY.

AND THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION INVESTED IN THE NONPROFIT PRIVATE EYES, MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM THAT ALREADY EXISTED.

THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WENT TO THESE RESOURCES AND COMMUNITIES DID NOT ACTUALLY INCREASED ACCESS IN THE WAY THAT WAS VERY MUCH MEANINGFUL.

THOSE BARRIERS STILL EXIST RIGHT?

SO WE WANT TO CREATE A SYSTEM OF CARE TO THE 2 MINUTE TRAVEL MODEL THAT INVEST IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR WHERE PEOPLE CAN WALK INTO A COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, JUST LIKE THEY DO A PUBLIC LIBRARY AT THE MOMENT.

RIGHT?

BUT EASE OF ACCESS CAN ALLOW PEOPLE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THAT SUPPORT WHEN THEY NEED IT.

AND ALSO TO CREATE A POLICE CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM, CITYWIDE RATE SO PEOPLE CAN TURN TO A RESOURCE AND A MOMENT OF NEED AND HAVE UP HERE.

ALL SOCIAL WORKER TO COMMUNITY RESIDENT WAS TRAINED RESPOND TO CRISIS.

BE THERE FOR THEM IN THAT MOMENT AND BE ABLE TO TRANSITION INTO CARE AT ONE OF THE CENTER'S.

BUT WE ALSO WANT THE SENATE TO PROVIDE THE PROACTIVE OUTREACH IN THE WAY THEY CONFORM COMMUNITY ENGAGE IN PREVENTATIVE AFTER TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT PEOPLE AND ENTIRE COMMUNITY BY AGAINST A FULLY FUNDED SYSTEM THAT CAN PROVIDE THE RESOURCES IN THE CARE TRUMBULL LOOKING INTO.

>> I HOW HARD IS HONESTLY TO FIND MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE?

WE SEE LONG WAY SPRAY EVEN WHEN THOSE RESOURCES EXIST.

WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE WAITING 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR TO TO RECEIVE SERVICES IN SOME CASES.

>> OR WHEN RECEIVE CARE, IT'S VERY LIMITED AS TO HOW APPOINTMENTS THEY CAN.

THEY CAN ACCESS.

COST IS STILL PROHIBITIVE BARRIER.

SO WE KNOW YOU'RE SAYING ANYONE THERAPISTS FOR >> WHOLE NEIGHBORHOODS, SOMETIMES.

ACTUALLY, 0.1 WE SHOULD WAIT WANT THEIR 1000 COMMUNITY.

RESIDENTS IN COMPANY CALLED RIGHT.

BUT COME BY COMPARISON WERE FROM THE NEIGHBORS HAVE FOR THERAPIST FOR 1000 RESIDENTS.

THAT'S THAT'S DATA.

THE RESEARCHERS SHOW.

>> AND WE'VE BUILT ALONG THE SHORE TO ATTEND A TO POINT OUT HOW PUBLIC INVESTMENT NEEDS TO BE CREATED IN AREAS OF THE CITY.

WHERE WITH DOES EXIST.

>> THANK THAT I MEAN, WE ONLY HAVE TIME FOR ONE LAST QUESTION I WANT TO GO TO YOU.

YOU HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR OVER 10 YEARS.

WHERE DOES YOUR PASSION COME FROM TO SPEAK OUT ON SUICIDE?

I THINK THAT MANY OF US TO DO THIS WORK ARE DRIVEN NOT JUST BY RESEARCH INTEREST PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

UNFORTUNATELY ARE LIVING WITH AND CARING FOR EITHER OURSELVES OR INDIVIDUALS IN OUR FAMILIES WHO NEED IMMEDIATE SUPPORT.

AND SO THERE'S A SENSE OF URGENCY.

THE SUICIDES ARE HAPPENING RIGHT IN FRONT OF BUT THEY CAN BE ADDRESSED AND WE CAN ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT POLICIES THAT CAN SAVE LIVES LITERALLY.

AND SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT OTHERS WILL WATCH THIS TODAY AND FEEL LIKE THEY REALLY ARE IN A POSITION TO HELP AND TO DO SOMETHING.

IT'S I'M GRATEFUL TO TRAUMA AND ALL THOSE OTHERS IN CHICAGO HAVE BEEN LEADING THESE EFFORTS LOT LONG BEFORE I ARRIVED HERE.

BUT THANK YOU,