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Answering the Call for Mental Health: The Impact of Meridian Health Plan of Illinois’ $50,000 Award to the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council

Date: 02/25/25

Funds supported the grassroots organization with hiring a full-time youth therapist in partnership with Esperanza Health Centers

CHICAGO (FEBRUARY 25, 2025) — The mental health of our youth is of local and global concern. In October, the World Health Organization (WHO) released data showing one in seven 10- to 19-year-olds experience mental health conditions. Most of which are unrecognized and go untreated. To help address this rising concern, Meridian Health Plan of Illinois, Inc. (Meridian), a Centene (NYSE: CNC) company, has provided a $50,000 award through the health plan's initiative that is now called Health Happens Here Grants™ to establish the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council (BYNC) and Esperanza Health Centers' therapy services for school-age students. The program is providing after-school therapy for up to 24 students in Back of the Yards schools through the 2024-25 school year.

“For more than a decade, we have known there has been a gap in care for students’ mental health in the Back of the Yards community. Students are facing an array of systemic issues, from bullying and gang violence, to lack of support and empathy for their ailments,” said Craig Chico, Back of The Yards Neighborhood Council President & CEO. “Meridian’s grant allows us to provide a full-time therapist for students who wouldn’t normally be able to receive this type of care.”

Seven schools – both elementary and high school – have partnered with Esperanza Health Centers and BYNC in the initial pilot program, which will allow up to 24 students to receive individual therapy. The therapist can also provide family therapy where the clients and therapist see fit.

“The therapist is part of a multi-faceted, community-based approach that seeks to revitalize our existing mental and behavioral health services, while expanding and providing new direct services to youth in the Back of the Yards community,” said Chico.

“At Meridian, we believe in the mind and body connection and are committed to whole-person healthcare. We are proud to continue to support the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council as they expand their behavioral health services,” said Rutu Ezhuthachan, M.D., Meridian Chief Medical Officer. “Meeting our members where they are and partnering with community organizations like BYNC ties directly back to our uniquely local approach to healthcare. The mental health of our youth is paramount to their future.”

The BYNC program has been seeing youth with a variety of issues, most prominently depression and anxiety symptoms. The therapist provides coping skills that range from physical (i.e., fidgets, grounding, breathing exercises) to cognitive (i.e., thought reframing, thought challenging, critical thinking, etc.) to emotional (i.e., emotional regulation, mindfulness, emotional processing of current events).

Meridian’s support of the program included a Health Happens Here Grants™ award and collaboration with BYNC to establish the program by identifying a mental healthcare organization that fit the unique needs of the youth to be served. After much due diligence, Esperanza Health Centers was selected to partner with BYNC in delivering mental healthcare services to their after-school program participants. These joint efforts led to BYNC’s therapy services to begin in June of 2024, and continues to have open slots for students through the 2024-25 school year.

For more information on how to connect students to BYNC’s therapist, contact (872) 281-7832.

About Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council
The Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council (BYNC) was founded in 1939 by Joseph Meegan, Saul Alinsky, supporting clergy, business owners, union officials, and residents. BYNC, located at 1751 W. 47th Street in Chicago, is among the oldest not-for-profit community organizations in the United States, serving a large area of Chicago’s Southwest Side, which includes the communities of Brighton Park, McKinley Park, and New City. As chronicled in Upton Sinclair’s now famous book, The Jungle, the Back of the Yards area suffered from social disorganization, unemployment, poor housing, and juvenile delinquency. BYNC was created in response to these growing social issues and continues today to organize residents and bring social services and economic resources to the community.

About Esperanza Health Centers
Esperanza Health Centers is a Federally Qualified Health Center serving over 50,000 patients annually through its network of primary care clinics on Chicago's Southwest Side. Since 2004, Esperanza has been delivering compassionate, culturally appropriate care to the medically underserved, primarily Latino communities, regardless of immigration or insurance status. Stay connected with Esperanza on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for updates and community engagement opportunities. For additional details about Esperanza Health Centers, please visit www.esperanzachicago.org or call (773) 584-6200.