Mayor Marchese will be attending the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new Crisis Recovery Center on August 13 in Wheaton.
Let’s talk about a topic that touches every one of us, whether we recognize it or not: mental health.
Across DuPage County, we are seeing what many communities across America are facing – a mental health crisis that is growing in both scope and in urgency. According to a Community Needs Assessment, one in three high school students in DuPage County has experienced anxiety or depression, and one in seven has seriously considered suicide. Let that sink in for a moment.
This is not just a youth issue – it’s a family issue, a workplace issue, and a community issue. Overdose deaths in the county rose by 22% in 2022 alone, and too often, when someone experiences a mental health crisis, their only option is the emergency room, or worse, a jail cell.
But change is on the horizon, and it’s happening right here in DuPage County. Our county is building something truly transformative, a
24/7 Crisis Recovery Center right on the DuPage County Health Department Campus in Wheaton. This center will provide what experts say every community needs: “someone to call, someone to respond, and somewhere to go.” County Health Executive Director Adam Forker put it best when he said, “the new Crisis Recovery Center, an immediate care triage behavioral health center, will revolutionize the way crisis services are delivered in DuPage County” It will offer immediate, compassionate care, freeing up hospitals and police, while connecting people with long term support.
While all this may be true, a building can’t solve everything, infrastructure is critical, but so is the culture we create around it. If we want the center to succeed, we need all of us, governmental leaders, educators, business owners and parents to be better attuned to mental health in our daily lives. While there are numerous groups doing great work, their efforts can only reach full strength with community buy in. State's Attorney Bob Berlin said, “It all starts with mental health, and we need early intervention: keeping kids busy is an investment that pays off in the future.” He is correct, prevention is powerful, so is empathy. So, let's continue the momentum, let's advocate for stronger services, include behavioral health in our local budgets, and be there for one another.
Together, we can ensure that in DuPage County, mental health is never an afterthought, but a priority that leads us toward a safer, healthier, more compassionate future.