In recent years, the Henry E. Legler Library in Chicago’s West Garfield Park neighborhood has been working to address the mental health needs of its community. The library, which first opened in 1920, is now providing a place where residents can seek help and be heard.
One of the ways that the library is doing this is by offering counseling services. Licensed counselor Jordan Henderson from the Chicago Department of Public Health meets with West Garfield Park residents at the library once a week to provide counseling services. These services are available on Tuesdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and are open to both walk-ins and referrals from others.
Henderson has been working at Legler Library for nearly a month and is one of three clinicians working at Chicago public libraries. By being present at the library, he hopes to remove barriers that prevent people from seeking mental health services. He has already seen about two dozen individuals and believes the number could increase with more consistent presence.
The importance of offering mental health services at local libraries cannot be overstated, according to experts. Being able to access these services in a familiar environment, without the need for appointments, can make a significant difference for community members who may have experienced trauma or other mental health issues as a result of disinvestment and high crime rates in their neighborhoods. The Department of Public Health is exploring additional co-locations as part of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s mental health expansion strategy, which aims to make these services more accessible to those who need them most.