Erikson Institute announces opening of new mental health clinic in Little Village neighborhood

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, August 21, 2019 — Erikson Institute is thrilled to announce the opening of a firstof-its kind Center for Children and Families/Centro para Niños y Familias in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, one of the fastest growing Latinx communities in Chicago. The 2000 square foot center, located at 3948 W. 26th Street (26th and Pulaski), offers a variety of direct services in a supportive space, carried out by bilingual mental health professionals who are experts in working with parents and their very young children. The new center is the only provider of comprehensive clinical assessments and mental health treatment for children prenatal to age 5 in the area.

“Our new mental health facility in the Little Village community will address a wide range of mental health needs for parents with children prenatal through age five,” said Dr. Marcy Safyer, director of Erikson’s Center for Children and Families. “Erikson is committed to working collaboratively with the community on behalf of families to increase access to quality services and to support and strengthen parent-child relationships as a key intervention for supporting child development.”

Direct services available include crisis intervention, clinical assessments, parent/child therapy, parent support, developmental guidance, and trauma treatment, offered both on-site or through home visits. Mental health clinicians also provide consultation to early care and education providers, pediatricians, and other service providers in the community

“Erikson’s new Centro para Niños y Familias is a welcome addition to the Little Village community, particularly because of the ages they serve, zero to five,” said Katya Nuques, executive director of Enlace Chicago, a Little Village-based organization that focuses on fostering a safe, healthy neighborhood with access to educational and economic opportunity. “Because of our neighborhood’s demographics, it’s a great fit for the community, and we look forward to working with the Erikson team to support the developmental needs of young children and their families.”

Little Village is a vibrant and thriving community of small businesses, nonprofits, and civic groups. Home to multiple generations of Mexican-Americans, the neighborhood has a robust network of nonprofits and civic institutions that work together to connect residents with the services they need. With shopping destinations like 26th Street, Little Village generates the second largest tax base in Chicago, after Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile. Erikson is proud to collaborate with existing community wellness initiatives to continue serving the Little Village neighborhood.

Of Chicago’s 77 community areas, Little Village/South Lawndale has one of the largest populations of young people. Thirty percent of the Little Village community is under the age of 18, and ten percent is under the age of five. With critical brain development reaching its peak before a child’s 5th birthday, intervening early is key to supporting children’s emotional well-being and mitigating any potential adverse developmental impact.

Additionally, in light of the ongoing stress and anxiety related to immigration status, including threats of deportation, family separation, financial insecurity, and the impact of living in a community with higher than average incidents of gun violence, Erikson is committed to addressing both the urgent mental health and developmental needs of affected parents and young children, as well as advocating for policies that produce more inclusive systems and equitable opportunities.

Erikson’s Center for Children and Families (CCF) provides mental health services for infants and young children and their families, including those exposed to trauma, through clinics across the city. In addition to the new Little Village facility, CCF operates clinics in River North, Austin/Oak Park, and in Humboldt Park through a partnership with the Department of Family and Support Services and The Puerto Rican Agenda of Chicago.

To reach the Center for Children and Families/Centro para Niños y Familias in Little Village or to make appointments, please call 773-820-9488. The center accepts most major insurance carriers, and services can also be rendered on a sliding-scale or pro-bono basis.

Erikson thanks the Pritzker Foundation and Cari and Michael Sacks for their generous philanthropic support of the Little Village center.

Erikson Institute educates, inspires, and promotes leadership to serve the needs of children and families. We have the premier graduate school dedicated to child development. We provide direct services to our community’s most vulnerable children and families. We are leaders in influencing early childhood policy. We work tirelessly every day so that all children can achieve optimal educational, social, emotional, and physical well-being. At Erikson Institute, we know that investing in the early years of children will last a lifetime.

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