Update on 3/26/14
With the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), it’s hopefully easier for people to become insured and thus to find affordable psychiatric and counseling services.
The deadline to sign up is March 31st. To be honest, I’m not sure what will happen if you find yourself uninsured after March 31st.
For more details on the Affordable Care Act, please see my post on that subject.
(Last updated 5/14/12)
If you are uninsured or cannot afford your copay for counseling, it’s often helpful to contact universities and hospitals to see if they offer sliding-scale services and to call DBSA or your local NAMI to ask if they can provide you with some suggestions based on your location.
Compared to finding a therapist, it is much more difficult to find a place that offers sliding-scale psychiatric services so that you can see a psychiatrist and get prescription medication. It would be best to start out by calling DBSA or your local NAMI to ask for referrals. If those referrals don’t pan out, you might want to contact the closest City of Chicago Mental Health Center. Please note that due to budget cuts, several locations have been closed. There is a way to see a psychiatrist and get free medications from Stroger Hospital, but it is very time-consuming.
Below are some places that I have found so far. Please call them first to verify that they offer sliding-scale and to ask if their fees have changed. If you know of a resource that isn’t in this list, please feel free to leave a comment or email me.
Please also read my post How to Choose a Therapist.
Adler School of Professional Psychology
Dreikurs Psychological Services Center
65 E. Wacker Place
(312) 327-0959
Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital
938 W Nelson (Wellington Brown)
(773) 296-3220
C4
multiple locations
(773) 761-9000
Lowest is $8
Cathedral Counseling
50 East Washington Street
(312) 252-9500
Catholic Charities
641 W. Lake Street
(312) 655-7725
Chicago Center for Family Health
20 North Wacker Drive
(312) 372-4731
Jewish Child and Family Services
(773) 866-5035
Multiple locations including:
Adult and Family Services
3525 W Peterson Ave, Chicago, IL
773 866 5035
Family Institute at Northwestern University
(847) 773-4300
Multiple locations including one in Loop and one in Evanston
Therapist is a doctoral student
Individual and couples: lowest may be $0
Lakeview Center on Psychotherapy
3322 North Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 525-3322
DBT group led by doctoral student: lowest is $1
Individual DBT: lowest is $5
Might have other forms of individual and group therapy
*Also has a mental illness support group
Swedish Covenant Hospital
Anderson Pavilion
2751 W Winona Ave. Suite 253
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 878-8200
Therapist is a doctoral student
Individual and couples: lowest is $0 – $5
Does not offer group
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City of Chicago Mental Health Centers (MHC)
Please call in advance to verify that the location you’re interested in hasn’t been shut down.
Englewood MHC
641 W. 63rd Street
(312) 747-7496
Hours of Operation: Mon – Fri: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Greater Grand/MID-South MHC
4314 S Cottage Grove
(312) 747-0036
Hours of Operation: Mon – Fri: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.
Greater Lawn MHC
4150 West 55th Street
(312) 747-1020
Hours of Operation: Mon – Fri: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Lawndale MHC
1201 S Campbell Street
(312) 746-5905
Hours of Operation: Mon – Fri: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.
North River MHC
5801 North Pulaski Road
(312) 744-1906
Hours of Operation: Mon – Fri: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.
Roseland MHC
200 East 115th Street
(312) 747-7320
Hours of Operation: Mon – Fri: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.
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John H. Stroger Hospital
Fantus Health Center aka Fantus Clinic
(the walk-in clinic at Stroger Hospital)
621 S. Winchester Ave
Chicago, IL 60612
312-864-6221
From a guest editor in 2009:
Stroger is the absolute last-ditch option for anyone in Chicago with no health insurance. It is the city-run hospital, and one that is absolutely swamped with people right now. You can see a doctor every day (with common specialists also available), as long as you are willing to jump through as many hoops as possible.
First, you have to make it to the West Loop location by 7AM, or you’ve lost your chance completely. Then, you have to be one of the first 85 people checked in, or again they turn you away. Then you wait in the waiting room until they call your name, and you have to be seen before closing time, or you don’t get seen at all and are told to come back again the next day.
If you’re lucky enough to get seen, you also have to file additional paperwork for Stroger’s discount plan, information on which is only given out if you are already being seen. Luckily, any medications prescribed to you are then free, but you may have to wait a large number of hours to be seen at all.
Enlightening the Darkness 
Review for the Family Institute at Northwestern University
I was disappointed in the quality of the doctoral student I saw at their Loop location and ultimately discontinued therapy here. However, because I only saw the one doctoral student, I cannot comment on the overall quality of the program, because there are multiple students working here and they are likely to change on a yearly basis. I would still recommend giving this place a try. Also, the offices are conveniently located by Millennium Park and are decorated in a tasteful and relaxing manner.
Review for the Lakeview Center on Psychotherapy
I benefited greatly from the dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) group and strongly recommend this form of therapy experiencing emotional and relationship difficulties regardless of diagnosis. However, the group here often felt more like a class than group therapy, because the doctoral student who ran the group mainly read passages from a book and printed all of her handouts from this book as well. The student who came after her did the same thing, giving the impression that they were teaching themselves at the same time that they were leading the group. Nevertheless, I am immensely grateful for the group.
Review for Swedish Covenant Hospital
Swedish Covenant has earned my loyalty. While I did not like my first doctoral student therapist, the next extern, Amber, was excellent and I was able to tell her honestly that I though she was one of the best therapists I had ever had. After she left for her next placement, I was able to start seeing her supervisor, Dr. Erdman, because I now had health insurance. I cannot recommend Dr. Erdman enough. She is one of the very few professionals that I have met that seems to truly get “it”. She also works in the in-patient psychiatric unit, so if you or someone you know is looking for an in-patient program, I strongly suggest asking if she is available.
In addition, the hospital facilities clean, brightly colored, and a therapeutic environment. They have comfortable seating, relaxing music, kind staff, gardens, and even aquariums. I have been pleased with the vast majority of doctors I have seen there, many of whom take Medicare and/or Medicaid.
The following comment was posted to: Sliding-Scale Psychiatric Treatment Options
November 8, 2011 at 10:18 pm
Lola says:
Hi-
Try Cathedral counseling again. There is ,sometimes, a month long waiting list, but the psych fee was around $70 and you do have to go to therapy, but the therapist was only around $45. You will have to do follow ups with the psych (to see if you’re on the right meds/dosage) but no need to see them every week. Also, if you’re suffering the illness of depression, therapy is an intregal part or getting better- meds alone (or therapy alone) won’t help in the long run- you need both.(Make sure you’re comfortable with the counselor/psych and don’t be afraid to speak up and seek out someone new)
I would also try Center on Halsted for therapy. They’re Chicago’s GLBTQ community center, but are really open to everyone. They have an excellent mental health services program with kind and professional staff. For youth, those between 13 and 24 therapy is free! All one needs to do is fill out an intake with a youth advocate