Caroling for Our Clinics at City Hall

Please join the Mental Health Movement for some holiday spirit to SAVE OUR CLINICS!

Wednesday 12/14

9am

2nd floor of City Hall (121 N. LaSalle) 

We will sing some carols as City Council comes in for their first session since voting on a budget that closes half the city’s mental health clinics and privatizes all of its neighborhood health centers. The modified lyrics to classic holiday tunes are below so you can practice!Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

Mayor Emanuel’s budget
Wants to make our clinics close
All of the city council
Shrugs and says “that’s how it goes”All of the Mayor’s buddies
Toast their glasses of champagne
He’s giving them big tax breaks
And closing clinics without shame

Then one cold December night
The people rose to fight
Mayor your budget’s not right
We’ll resist your greed and might!

Then all the people rose up
Fighting against corporate greed
We’re building one big movement
And we’ll go down in history!

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Have you just a little bit of heart left?
To respect our rights?
If you close our clinics we will rise and fightHave you just a little bit of heart left?
Don’t we have a say?
If they close, our clinics will be miles away

Here we are as in olden days
With no rights or say at all.
If mental health isn’t near to us
Through the cracks we’ll fall

Through the years you’ve subsidized your rich friends
Like the CME
You’ve got money for all of your rich buddies
So closing clinics is heartless as we all can see!

Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow
Cause my clinic closed today
Across gang lines I go
Can you hear me say NO NO NO
If our clinics close
Or it you privatize
What will you say to those who know
That we will lose some lives  - HEY!E-man-uel,
E-man-uel
Can’t fool me today!
Corporate greed gets more and more
While our clinics go away, hey!
(2x)

For well over a year
We’ve tried to get your ear
But every time we’ve tried
You just run and hide (SHAME SHAME SHAME)
So your budget passes
To close clinics and schools
While cut your friends’ taxes
You must think we’re fools – HEY!

E-man-uel,
E-man-uel
Can’t fool me today!
Corporate greed gets more and more
While our clinics go away, hey!
(2x)

O Christmas Tree:

O can’t you see? O can’t you see?
This Mayor’s budget’s deadly?
O can’t you see? O can’t you see?
He’s closing clinics for you and me
It’s only bankers who he hears,
Mental health clinics disappear.
O Can’t you see, O can’t you see?
We need our clinics to be free!

12 days of Xmax:

On the first day of Christmas the Mayor took away, public health from the city.On the second day of Christmas the Mayor took away, our therapists and public health from the city.

On the third day of Christmas the Mayor took away, all our meds, our therapists, and public health from the city

On the fourth day of Christmas the Mayor took away mental health clinics, all our meds, our therapists and public health from the city.

On the fifth day of Christmas the Mayor took away, all our hopes and dreams, mental health clinics, all our meds, our therapists and public health from the city.

On the sixth day of Christmas the Mayor took away all of our jobs, all our hopes and dreams, mental health clinics, all our meds, our therapists and public health from the city.

On the seventh day of Christmas the Mayor took away 7 health centers, living wage jobs, all our hopes and dreams, mental health clinics, all our meds, our therapists and public health from the city.

On the eighth day of Christmas the Mayor took away 8 public schools, 7 health centers, living wage jobs, all our hopes and dreams, mental health clinics, all our meds, our therapists and public health from the city.

On the ninth day of Christmas the Mayor took away public libraries, 8 public schools, 7 health centers, living wage jobs, all our hopes and dreams, mental health clinics, all our meds, our therapists and public health from the city.

On the tenth day of Christmas the Mayor took away any hope of learning, public libraries, 8 public schools, 7 health centers, living wage jobs, all our hopes and dreams, mental health clinics, all our meds, our therapists and public health from the city.

On the eleventh day of Christmas the Mayor took away NATO protest permits, any hope of learning, public libraries, 8 public schools, 7 health centers, living wage jobs, all our hopes and dreams, mental health clinics, all our meds, our therapists and public health from the city.

On the twelfth day of Christmas the Mayor took away, any chance of re-election, NATO protest permits, any hope of learning, public libraries, 8 public schools, 7 health centers, living wage jobs, all our hopes and dreams, mental health clinics, all our meds, our therapists and public health from the city!

Community Mental Health Board Meeting

COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH BOARD OF CHICAGO

NOTICE OF MONTHLY MEETING

WHEN:          MONDAY, NOVEMBER  21, 2011

TIME:            10:30 AM until 12:30 PM

WHERE:       Chicago Department of Public Health
DePaul Center, 2nd Floor, Board Room
333 S. State Street

The Chicago budget proposal was approved last week.  Included in this proposal is the plan to close 6 of our 12 mental health centers. We need to discuss how the department plans to carry out this  transition and if there is still a role  for our board to influence what is being planned.

Be sure to attend this meeting.

SAVE OUR CLINICS & SERVICES!

PEOPLE’S BUDGET ASSEMBLY:

SAVE OUR CLINICS & SERVICES!

Tuesday 11/15 – 12pm

Chicago Temple

77 W. Washington

Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 2012 Budget:

1.  Closes six of the twelve public Mental Health Clinics.

2.  Cuts almost 200 positions in Department of Family and Support Services jeopardizing programs for the elderly, homeless, at‐risk kids and more.

3.  Privatizes all seven of the City’s Neighborhood Health Clinics.

4.  Will result in the lay off of hundreds of City employees during tough economic times.

This assembly will take place the day before City Council votes on the budget. We need to send a clear message to City Council and the Mayor – NO CLINICS, NO VOTE: Our city, our communities and the alderman who hear their constituents will not support a vote that does not restore these devastating cuts.

From TIF surpluses to corporate subsidies to bloated budgets for top‐level management, there are plenty of ways to balance the budget without closing clinics and privatizing/cutting services.

Stand Up Now to Defend Vital Services, Save Jobs and

Keep Our Communities Safe and Strong!

FUND THE NEEDS OF THE 99% ­ NOT THE GREED OF THE 1%

Contact info: MentalHealthMovement@gmail.com ­ www.stopchicago.org ­

(773) 340­-9598

Save City Mental Health Centers

SAVE OUR CITY’S MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS!

Next Wednesday, the City Council will likely vote on Mayor Emanuel’s proposed 2012 budget. Though 28 Alderman wrote the Mayor expressing concern about cuts to our clinics, libraries and other services, Mayor Emanuel has not backed off on plans to close half of our city’s 12 mental health clinics and privatize all 7 of the physical health clinics.

PLEASE CALL YOR ALDERMAN to say: “NO CLINICS, NO VOTE – don’t vote for any budget that closes and privatizes our city clinics.”

We also need help from now until the budget vote turning up the heat. Please email MentalHealthMovement@gmail.com if you can volunteer some time on an action team this week. We need help with actions, pressure on Alderman, outreach in targeted areas, phone-banking to supporters, community outreach and more.

Two key actions coming up to spread the word widely on are:

Prayer vigil/Protest to save our clinics

Weds 11/9 – 5:30pm – In front of LaSalle st entrance to City Hall – 121 N. LaSalle

People’s Budget Assembly to save our clinics

Tues 11/15 – 12pm – Chicago Temple – 77 W. Washington

We can win this one, but it will take all of us. Please take some time out of your busy schedules this week to be part of an effort that will have major impact on the future of our city and our communities.

Proposed FY2012 Budget Threatens City Mental Health Services

Download Flier

Community Mental Health Board Meeting

COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH BOARD OF CHICAGO

NOTICE OF MONTHLY MEETING

WHEN:    Monday, October 17, 2011

TIME:      10:30 AM TO 12:30 PM

WHERE:  Chicago Department of Public Health
DePaul Center, 2nd Floor, Board Room
333  S. State Street

The Chicago budget for the fiscal year 2012 is now public knowledge. The CDPH budget proposes the closure of six (6) of our mental health centers.  This will be a critical meeting to get details of this plan and to map out our response.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTICE

A mental health rally addressing state cuts in mental health will be on this same day, Monday, October 17, 2011, at 12:00 pm, at the Thompson State of Illinois Center at Randolph and Clark.  It will be possible to attend this rally after the completion of the
board meeting.

 

Don’t Privatize Mental Health Care

Mental Health Movement – Town Hall Forum

Mental Health Movement video

 

Monthly Board Meeting

The June meeting of the citywide Community Mental Health Board of Chicago will take place on Monday, June 20, 2011 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at the DePaul Center, 333 S. State Street, Chicago Department of Public Health Board Room on the 2nd floor.

Please note that the starting time has been changed to 10:30.
We can use the room until 1:00 pm to complete necessary business.

We have a new mayor, a new city council, a new state budget.
We need to assert our interests in this new mix of an uncertain future.

Please join us in our efforts.

Mayor Emanuel Save our mental health clinics

Mental Health Movement launches letter-writing campaign to Mayor Emanuel

Save our mental health clinics and do not allow their privatization!

Download the letter