Cicero, Illinois Therapists

An Overview of Mental Health in Cicero, Illinois

Cicero is an incorporated town in Cook County, Illinois, and a suburb of Chicago. It is the 11th most populous municipality in the state with a population of 84,103 as of 2013. Its municipal history is somewhat tumultuous as certain areas have been annexed into the city over the years and other portions have broken away and formed new cities of their own. As a result of these upheavals, Cicero now occupies approximately one-sixth of its former territory.

The Divorce Rate in Cicero, Illinois

Though demonstrating a gradual decline over four years from 2010 to 2013, Cook County, where Cicero is located, consistently demonstrates one of the highest divorce rates in Illinois, accounting for approximately one-third of the divorces in the state every year. In 2010 and 2011, Cook was the only county in Illinois to see divorce rates over 10,000. The county with the next-highest divorce rate during the same two years was DuPage County, which saw 2,292 divorces in 2010 and 2,310 divorces in 2011.

The Challenge of Finding a Suitable Therapist in Cicero, Illinois

Mental health services in Illinois are struggling due to a lack of state funding. When it comes to dollar amounts cut from mental health programs, Illinois ranks third in the nation, cutting $113.7 million from mental health services between 2009 and 2012 and closing several community mental health agencies throughout the state, as well as six mental health clinics in Chicago, according to a 2015 study by the Chicago chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The state government created a strategic plan to help those suffering from mental illness when it began closing mental health institutions, but NAMI-Chicago claims that it did not receive the necessary funds to implement it fully.

The Affordable Care Act, also known as ACA or Obamacare, provides insurance coverage for the mentally ill previously denied by private insurance companies for decades. Unfortunately, providers do not have the funding, staff, or other infrastructure required to serve people with mental illness, even though the ACA helps them pay for services.

Hope for Those Living With Mental Illness in Cicero, Illinois

Even though there are challenges involved in providing mental health services in Illinois, help is still available for those in Cicero who need it. One valuable resource for those seeking assistance with mental health issues is the Town of Cicero Mental Health Board, which provides information and referrals on a confidential basis and welcomes walk-ins.