Launching Two New Mentorship Programs Focused on Mental Health | In partnership with the Center for Childhood Resilience, our Mentorship and Workforce Development Initiatives is developing a new mental health pipeline by adding two exciting programs to explore career pathways in mental health while building leadership skills and raising awareness. Students will learn about careers in psychology, psychiatry, counseling, social work, and more, all while gaining the tools to make a meaningful impact in their community. One is for high school students and the other is for college students, and both are 6-week virtual programs. These programs were developed in response to a request from youth from Communities United for more mental health professionals who look like them and share their experience in the Ujima Report: Changing the Beat of Mental Health. | |
Taking Important Steps Toward Life-Saving Firearm Legislation | Earlier this month, the Illinois General Assembly passed Karina's Bill, life-saving legislation that strengthens the Illinois Domestic Violence Act and Firearm Restraining Order Act. It requires law enforcement to more quickly confiscate firearms from alleged abusers when an order of protection is in place. Our Strengthening Chicago's Youth team, part of our Violence Prevention Initiatives programming, continues to advocate for Karina's Bill and other legislation that aligns with their 2025–2026 priorities, including efforts to establish mental health parity, raise the age of commitment to the juvenile temporary detention center, promote secure firearm storage, and hold the firearm industry accountable for preventable firearm-related deaths. | |
Providing Families with Resources and Tools to Prevent Unintentional Injuries at Home | Our Unintentional Injury Prevention Initiatives continue to serve families in multifaceted ways. Through their Virtual Home Safety Showers, community participants received a smoke/carbon monoxide detector with a 10-year battery life and a gift card to purchase a home safety item. Meanwhile, the Buckle Up team has provided free or reduced-cost car seats to hundreds of underserved families and offered virtual car seat safety classes in English and Spanish. According to pre- and post- assessments, participants in the initiative’s educational programs reported increased knowledge of key safety topics, including home safety, car seat safety, and safe sleep practices. | |  |
Planning Services to Be Offered at the Austin Hope Center | We will soon be starting construction on the Austin HOPE Center, which is scheduled to be complete mid-2026. Medical clinical services at the center will include appointments for reproductive health, eating disorders, substance use, wellness and weight management, hemophilia, sickle cell disease, high risk asthma, autism, developmental delays, preventative and general cardiology, high blood pressure and fatty liver disease. This initial list, which may evolve, was created with critical input from residents and local clinical providers. |
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Community Volunteer Corps Applications are Now Open!
Lurie Children’s Community Volunteer Corps is a fun, flexible way for volunteers to share important public health messages with Chicago families. Each summer, volunteers can choose from around 15 different festivals and events in neighborhoods across the city -- leading interactive games and sharing health education materials with community members.
Learn More
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One Hospital, One Cause:
Nourishing Our Communities, Together | In December, Dr. Mariana Glusman led the Magoon Institute in launching a pilot of our “One Hospital, One Cause" initiative, a collaborative effort across the Lurie Children's workforce to tackle a specific need in the communities we serve. We chose to address food insecurity and conducted a food drive for our Austin community partner Circle Urban Ministries, engaged our colleagues in service opportunities at food pantries, advocated for essential programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), federal programs provide crucial food and nutrition education to families in need and can be the difference between a child being fed or going hungry. | |
Honoring Our Colleagues, Leslie Helmcamp
and Sheila Hickey
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Director of Violence Prevention Initiatives at the Magoon Institute and Executive Director of Strengthening Chicago's Youth, Leslie Helmcamp, will be recognized by the Chicago Health Executives Forum/American College of Healthcare Executives for the Community Leadership Award on Wednesday, February 26th. This award highlights health care leaders who work to connect key stakeholders in bridging the evident gap in the fragmentation of care and delivery of services and promotes education as a measure to strengthen communities. | | |
Manager of Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs at Lurie Children's, Sheila Hickey, was recognized as Reclaim13 2024 Awardee at 2nd Annual Focus on Child Trafficking Luncheon on Tuesday, January 28th. Reclaim 13's mission is to forge healing pathways for survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation through long term support and meaningful connection. Sheila is being named as one of Reclaim 13's key health partners in changing the landscape of child trafficking and the introduction of services and solutions that did not exist when the organization was founded. | | | |
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Project ADAM Fundraiser with DePaul Athletics!
On Sunday, February 2nd at 5 p.m., DePaul men's Basketball will host the Seton Hall Pirates. In collaboration with Project ADAM at Lurie Children's, all family and friends will receive a preferred ticket rate and a portion of each ticket will be donated back to Project ADAM. Tickets start at $15 for the game.
Purchase your tickets!
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The latest resources and publications focused on community health from us at Lurie Children's: | |
Expert Advice on Health and Safety | |
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The Substance Use Prevention Program (SUPP) at Lurie Children’s is offering SURGE-AHEAD, a growth minded group therapy program for English-speaking high school students who use cannabis, nicotine and/or alcohol and their parents.
View the flyer here. For further information or to make a referral, please contact:
Marie Nady, LSW, SUPP Medical Social Worker (312.227.7805)
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