Howard Brown Health Center (HBHC) has been granted a Level II license by the Illinois Department of Human Services for ‘Recovering With Pride,’ an expanded substance abuse program focused on crystal meth. This certification allows for the implementation of a three-year grant from the Chicago Department of Public Health that expands HBHC’s substance abuse program to include intensive outpatient services needed for meth addiction.
Dr. Braden Berkey, Director of Behavioral Health, stated that the demand for LGBT-sensitive chemical dependency treatment has become overwhelming. Over the past few years, club drugs—especially meth—have emerged as a serious health crisis across the country. Nearly half of all patients seeking services in HBHC’s substance abuse program have been involved with meth. Another powerful, yet ironic, illustration of the depth of the problem is the Feb. 16 arrest of Michael Anderson, HBHC’s senior director of development, on a charge of crystal meth possession with intent to distribute.