| PRESS RELEASES |
| | Between the Lines Exhibit Unites C4 Teens and Local Artist
December 2007
Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) will host “Between the Lines: An Exhibit by Teen Artists in collaboration with Tom Robinson.” The exhibit, opening on December 7th, will run through December with open hours on the weekends from 11-5 p.m. and by appointment. The exhibit will be on display at Tom Robinson Gallery, located at 416 W. North Ave, Chicago, IL.
The opening reception for the exhibit will take place on December 7th from
4:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Local teens in collaboration with Bucktown artist Tom Robinson will display drawings, paintings and mixed media art works which explore identity and the perceptions (and misperceptions) we make about others and ourselves. The 25 teens, most of whom are struggling with some form of emotional distress, poverty, and/or very difficult home circumstances, currently participate in the teen photo therapy group, one of the several dozen behavioral health services offered by C4.
Dali McGuire, the C4 Art Therapist who initiated the project, stresses that the art program is an important outlet for the participating teens. “In business, politics or gangs, it is often the toughest people who are protecting a creative, caring side that they fear will show weakness or attract ridicule. Well-run art programs allow people to safely express their vulnerable side in a safe and beautiful way,” explains McGuire. In addition to the original art work created by the teens, charcoal portraits of some of the students created by Robinson will also be on display.
"It was not an easy thing for some of these tough kids to sit for an hour. And almost all said, 'Make me look tough.'" says Robinson. "But what I did, what any portrait artist does, is capture a complex personality that can not be categorized as any one thing. And so many people look at these kids as undeserving, that it is easy for them to agree, and act accordingly. Art allows you to look at someone in many different ways. I hope my art not only captures their tough exterior, but also the quick intelligence and beautiful soul underneath."
The entire project created an experience that was life changing for the teens as well as for Robinson.
“As a hallmark of the teen experience, seeing and knowing oneself only by what others think and say can be profoundly limiting and often based on cultural, 'ageist' and emotional misconceptions,” said McGuire. “C4 has many success stories about neighbors resolving complex issues; this student program is an excellent example of how C4 is making a positive impact throughout the city.”
###
|
|
|
| | C4 Selected as Partner in Demo Grant for Asian-American Mental Health Services
December 2007
Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) has been selected to participate in a demonstration grant to improve access to mental health services for Asian American communities in Chicago.
Under the agreement with the Asian Health Coalition of Illinois (AHCI), C4 will receive $105,000 over the next three years to help develop culturally competent services for Asian American populations at risk for mental disorders due to language isolation and low socio economic status.
As the mental health provider in the seven-member coalition, C4 will help train other community partners in mental health issues, create educational resources, and help develop strategies to recruit and train bi-lingual and bicultural mental health providers. C4 will also be challenged to develop working relationships with agencies that offer interpretation services in Hindi, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Khmer, and Laotian.
The collaboration is funded through the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health.
From 1990 to 2000, the Asian American population in Illinois skyrocketed, increasing by 52 percent. Recent studies have shown that Asian Americans are three times less likely than Caucasians to utilize mental health services, despite evidence of significant mental illness.
In Illinois, Asian American women had the highest rate of suicide in every age group over the past 15 years. Another study by the Commonwealth Fund revealed that Asian American girls reported higher rates of depressive symptoms than Caucasian, African- American or Hispanic counterparts.
Cultural stigma and language barriers are major factors that prevent Asian’ Americans from seeking help for mental or emotional disorders, according to health officials.
C4 expects that the collaboration will increase its capacity to reach Asian Americans especially in Uptown, where they represent 12 percent of the population. Ultimately, the agency hopes the demonstration grant project will have far-reaching effects.
“We plan to use this project as a model for reaching all ethnic and racial populations,” observes Dr. Roy Wilson, C4 Chief Clinical Officer and Medical Director. According to the most recent statistics, the population served by C4 is 40 percent African-American; 26 percent Hispanic; 3 percent mixed race, 2 percent Asian, and 1 percent Native American.
Besides the Asian Health Coalition, other community partners in the demonstration project are: the Chinese American Service League, Cambodian Association of Illinois, Lao American Community Services, the Hamdard Center, and the Vietnamese Association of Illinois.
|
|
|
| | Parenting Education Programs Wins $50,000 Award from The Chicago Community Trust
October 2007
The Parenting Education Program of Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) has recently received a $50,000 grant from The Chicago Community Trust for a three-phase efficacy study. Established in 1996, the Parenting Education Program has provided positive parenting classes, home visits, referrals and ongoing support groups to more than 3,500 low-income, at-risk, ethnically diverse and immigrant families.
“This much appreciated grant will allow us the opportunity to conduct the efficacy study needed for the Parenting Education Program to become an evidence-based model that reflects the real experiences of parents,” said Katharine Bensinger, Program Director of C4’s Parenting Education Program.
Phase one of the study is designed to assess the immediate impact of the parenting education courses. Evaluation of the participants’ knowledge of child development and the participants’ skills in communication, problem solving, and non-violent discipline will be conducted in this phase. Phase two of the study is designed to assess if changes in parenting practices of PEP participants are a direct result of a participants’ participation in the Parenting Education Program. The third and final phase of the efficacy study is designed to assess the impact that participants’ parenting practices have on their children. The particular focus will be on the development and adjustment of each child who has a parent that has participated in the Parenting Education Program.
“The Chicago Community Trust has a long history of supporting systematic change,” said Diana Derige, Program Officer at The Chicago Community Trust. “The investment in C4’s Parent Education Program through an efficacy study would directly impact families in Chicago and would expand the breadth of culturally appropriate models available to all providers and ultimately better serve diverse populations.”
The efficacy study will also enhance previous evaluations that have been conducted on the Parenting Education Program. Urban Network Associates (UNA), an outside evaluation team, has conducted four years of rigorous process and outcome evaluations which have proven the Parenting Education Program to be effective.
“Our plan is to ultimately offer the Parenting Education Program as a model on both a local and national level,” said Bensinger. “Parents are thirsty for parenting support and education. This study will allow C4 to provide this vital support service to more families.”
For more than 90 years, The Chicago Community Trust has connected the generosity of donors with the needs of the community by supporting organizations working to improve our community. With assets of $1.5 billion, the Trust gave its billionth dollar in grants in 2006. From strengthening community schools to assisting local art programs, from building health centers to helping lives affected by violence, the Trust continues to enhance our region. To learn more, please visit the Trust online at www.cct.org.
For more information on C4’s parenting services, contact Katharine Bensinger at 773.765.0829 or katharine.bensinger@c4chicago.org. Interested persons can also visit the agency’s website at www.c4chicago.org.
###
|
|
|
| | C4 Parenting Program Awarded $40,000 from Hedge Fund Community
February 7, 2007
Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) has been awarded a $40,000 grant from Hedge Funds Care to support its Parenting Education Program.
C4’s parenting program, which reached 293 low-income parents last year, provides eight-week classes that focus on positive parenting skills designed to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect....|
|
|
| | C4 HELPS TROUBLED TEENS TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD WITH $100,000 GRANT
November 8, 2006
Chicago, IL - Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to launch a comprehensive behavioral health and life skills program that helps troubled teens transition to adulthood.
Targeted to youth 16-18, the program will reach a population whose needs often fall through the cracks of the mental health delivery system, according to C4 Regional Director Viviana Ploper....|
|
|
| | Incest Survivor Gives Gift of Healing
January 4, 2006
Sharon Horton, a 38-year-old incest survivor, exhibits original drawings, paintings and sculpture created during ten years of art therapy as a consumer at Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4). After learning this past spring that her breast cancer is terminal, Sharon organized the exhibit as a gift to....|
|
|
| | C4 Leader Joins National Board
January 6, 2006
Anthony A. Kopera, Ph.D., President and CEO of Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4), has been elected Treasurer of the Board of Directors of MHCA, the Mental Health Corporations of America, Inc. Kopera will take office on February 24 at the national organization’s 2006 business meeting....
|
|
|
| | Grant Healthcare Foundation Supports the Quetzal Center
December 30, 2005
Community Counseling Center of Chicago (C4) recently received a grant of $25,000 from the Grant Healthcare Foundation to support the Quetzal Center. The Quetzal Center was established by C4 in 1983 in response to the community’s need for specialized sexual assault services....|
|
|
| | Generosity of Northern Trust Bank Benefits C4
December 29, 2005
Community Counseling Center of Chicago (C4) recently received a grant of $7,500 from The Northern Trust Company to support C4’s Parent Education Program. The Parent Education Program at C4, which started in 1996, provides opportunities for low-income parents to learn effective skills that strengthen family...
|
|
|
| | Jewel-Osco Supports C4
December 29, 2005
Community Counseling Center of Chicago (C4) recently received a grant of $5,000 from Jewel-Osco in support of C4’s Parent Education Program. Since 1996, the Parent Education Program at C4 has provided free parenting skills.... |
|
|
| | C4 Board Gives Top Awards For Community Service
November 9, 2005
The Board of Directors of Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) today named psychologist, Robyn Inaba, Ph.D. and the Motorola Latino Business Council as the recipients of this year’s community service awards. Recipients were honored during the C4 2005...|
|
|
| | C4 Wins Prestigious CISCO Tech Award
October 28, 2005
Cisco Systems, the worldwide leader in networking products, announced the winners of its annual Cisco Growing with Technology Awards contest, which recognizes creative ways organizations are using Internet technology innovations and the unique adoption of networking solutions to drive business success. Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) competed for this prestigious award and is pleased... |
|
|
| | Discover Recovery Point
September 14, 2005
One in 12 Americans have a problem with alcohol or other drugs, yet many cannot afford quality care. To address this, Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) will host an Open House on Thursday, September 22, 2005 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at 4007 North Broadway as part of a national initiative...|
|
|
| | C4 Receives Citation Award For
Advancing Workforce Development
May 16, 2005
Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4), a behavioral health advocate and social service provider was awarded the prestigious Illinois Chapter Group Citation Award by the International Association of Workforce Professionals (IAWP) at their 2005 Annual Spring Conference Awards Banquet Dinner....|
|
|
|
|
