May officially recognized as ‘Mental Health Month’ in Cook County

The Cook County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution recognizing May as “Mental Health Month.”

“My son, a 12-year-old boy, suffers from severe depression and anxiety, and he has had several crises during the last two years where he reports having no will to live,” Christina Saldana said during public comment. 

Commissioner Tara Stamps (1st) sponsored the resolution, passed on May 15. Her office hosts “S.H.O.P. Talk,” or sharing hope and overcoming pressure. Conversations are specifically hosted at barber shops and beauty salons. Free haircuts, job training resources, and financial information is also provided.

Saldana praised the effort, urging the board to expand mental health services to young people, particularly young men. 

Jimmy Wallace, representing “S.H.O.P. Talk,” outlined the initiative has effectively combatted youth mental health crises over two years. “We’re in a barber shop. It’s a safe space that’s been created to speak to these issues that these children are facing,” Wallace explained. “We redirect [conversations] to mental health, generational trauma, how you’re doing in school.” He emphasized the need for continued financial support to maintain and grow these essential conversations.

It’s a positive experience, said Daquan Smith, a teenage participant. “S.H.O.P. Talk is amazing,” Smith said, adding that these sessions offer young men “a higher purpose,” boosting their confidence and providing critical mental health resources.

Twin Green, founder and chief executive officer of the Link and Options Center, commended Commissioner Kisha McCaskill (5th) for her longstanding advocacy on mental health. 

The South Holland-based center recently became the first state-certified community behavioral health clinic in the south suburbs, providing immediate care for mental health and substance abuse. Green outlined significant disparities in access to prenatal and postpartum mental health care and emphasized that early intervention is critical to tackling these issues.