Mental health
About one in four U.S. adults suffer from a mental disorder in a given year, according to an overview of mental disorders by the National Institute of Mental Health.
The treatment system is “fragmented, disconnected and often inadequate,” according to the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health report.
Illinois Department of Human Services offers resources on its state mental illness information page.
The state’s Say it Out Loud public awareness campaign encourages open discussion.
Friends of SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
The National Empowerment Center supports transforming the service system toward a more recovery-oriented approach.
Homelessness
Hunger and family homelessness rose in 2009, according to a U.S. Conference of Mayors report.
More than 600,000 people nationwide were without homes on a single night in January 2008, according to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report.
This U.S. government report on Housing First programs describes the method of providing direct placement of people into permanent housing.
A New York City program for housing and psychiatric treatment reduced other costs to society, such as shelters and hospital use, a study on homelessness services discovered.