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How A Hospital And A School District Teamed Up To Help Kids In Emotional Crisis

Updated June 11, 2021 at 11:30 PM ET In 2019, the Rockville Centre school district in Long Island, N.Y., was shaken by a string of student deaths, including the suicides of a recent graduate and a current student. “When you get these losses, one after the other, you almost can’t get traction on normalcy,” says […]

U Of I Police Department Hiring Social Workers To Handle Mental Health Crisis Calls

URBANA – The University of Illinois Police Department is planning to increase the number of mental health professionals on staff to help officers respond to crisis calls.  Lieutenant Aaron Landers leads UIPD’s community outreach efforts, including the new mental health pilot program, known as Response, Evaluation and Crisis Health, or, REACH. He says the plan […]

New Illinois Initiative Aims To Reduce Racial Disparities, Improve Childbirth Outcomes

SPRINGFIELD – As racial disparities in maternal and child health outcomes persist in the U.S., a new statewide initiative aims to promote equity in maternal health and improve outcomes for all women and children. The latest report from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) found that about 75 women in Illinois die from pregnancy-related […]

With Black Women At Highest Risk of Maternal Death, Some States Extending Medicaid

When a woman dies during pregnancy or within a year of childbirth in Illinois, that’s considered a maternal death. Karen Tabb Dina reviews cases like this in the state of Illinois. She’s a maternal health researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who serves on a state-level committee that’s trying to figure out what’s […]

Because of COVID-19: AAPI Community Sees Rise In Violence

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. have reported an increase in their experiences of racism, hostility and outright violence. A recent study from California State University found anti-Asian hate crimes reported to police in major U.S. cities rose 150% last year — even as overall hate crimes dropped 7%. And […]

Thinking About Summer Camp? Here’s Some Advice From An Infectious Disease Expert

URBANA – With summer camps on the horizon, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated guidance and recommendations on April 24 for preventing the spread of COVID-19.  Among them: mask-wearing, spacing out three to six feet apart, good ventilation and being outdoors as much as possible. “They also now recommend that all […]

Mental Health A Leading Cause Of Maternal Death In Illinois, New Report Finds

SPRINGFIELD – Each year, 75 Illinois women die while pregnant or within 12 months of pregnancy, according to a report released Thursday by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).  The report is based on data from maternal deaths that occurred in 2016 and 2017, and were reviewed by the state’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee. […]

How Schools Can Help Kids Heal After A Year Of ‘Crisis And Uncertainty’

Kai Humphrey, 9, has been learning from home for more than a year. He badly misses his Washington, D.C., elementary school, along with his friends and the bustle of the classroom. “I will be the first person ever to have every single person in the world as my friend,” he said on a recent Zoom […]

What Can Be Done To Keep New Mothers From Dying?

URBANA – The U.S. is the only industrialized nation where the rate of pregnancy-related deaths is on the rise.  About 700 U.S. women die each year due to pregnancy or its complications. And Black and Indigenous mothers are two to three times more likely than white mothers to die from pregnancy-related causes, according to the […]

‘Peer Support’ Organizations Aim To Help Kids By Supporting Parents

RANTOUL – The pandemic has led to an increased need for mental health support for children. In working to meet this need, one central Illinois organization is focused on providing support and guidance to parents and caregivers. Many mental health services available for children focus on helping only the child, says Ulanda Hunter, statewide director […]

Organizations Working To Raise Awareness About Gambling Addiction In Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – An estimated 2% of Illinois adults have a gambling problem, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. But it’s unclear which populations are most affected and at risk.  The Illinois Department of Human Services launched a new study last fall aimed at collecting data on the issue of gambling disorders in the […]

U Of I Saliva Test Coming To Two Champaign-Urbana Schools, With Hopes To Expand

URBANA – OSF HealthCare announced a new partnership with the University of Illinois Tuesday that will expand the U of I’s saliva-based COVID-19 test into the broader Champaign-Urbana community. Starting next Friday, the saliva test will be available to students, teachers and staff at two schools in Champaign-Urbana: Stratton Academy of the Arts and Urbana […]

How Anti-Asian Hate Is Affecting Central Illinois’ Asian American Communities

URBANA – Anti-Asian hate appears to have worsened during the pandemic.  A recent study from California State University finds anti-Asian hate crimes reported to police in major U.S. cities rose 150% last year — even as overall hate crimes dropped 7%. And an analysis released this month by the group Stop AAPI Hate found nearly […]