Sliding-Scale Psychiatric and Counseling Services

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.

Illinois Healthy Women Pink Card

The Illinois Healthy Women Card is a pink-colored slip of paper that allows for certain types of free gynecological care and related medications, such as birth control. It is a very limited form of health insurance available to women who are low-income, but do not meet the full criteria for Medicaid.

It can be used at Planned Parenthood and you can call and ask doctors and pharmacies to see if they’ll accept it.

However, because of how limited it is, it can be difficult to be sure of what services are covered. The website lists several covered services and there is a toll free number to call as well, 800-226-0768. Before making the appointment, you can also call the doctor you want to see to make sure that the visit will be covered.

For more information and to apply, visit http://www.illinoishealthywomen.com/

If you have experience with the Pink Card or similar programs, please let me know.