What We Support
The Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
In January 2022, the Children’s Service Board announced a new fundraising pledge: a two-year, $2 million commitment to the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Lurie Children’s. Our team of mental health professionals are embedded throughout Lurie Children’s medical center and outpatient sites. The department is focused on improving access to care, building up specialized expertise, and expanding research and innovation through establishing new collaborative care models. In addition to providing treatment to patients at Lurie Children’s, our team trains community-based pediatric providers and Lurie Children’s residents to identify and treat common mental health concerns like ADHD, anxiety, and depression.
Through models like this, Lurie Children’s is able to reach a boarder range of children and intervene at an earlier age-reducing long term mental health issues into adulthood.
Facts about mental health and the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health:
- 20% of children will have a mental health disorder before graduating high school
- 80% of youth who need evaluation or treatment do not get it
- 8-10 is the average number of years a child in the US to correctly diagnosed
- Trained 100+ community pediatricians in evidence-based behavioral health practices through our collaborative care program
- More than 41,000 patients in 37 pediatric practices now have access to basic mental health support closer to home
- 36,000 outpatient visits occurred in FY21
- An increase in suicidal ideation of 2 to 3 per day versus 2 to 3 per month prior to the pandemic