After the City of Chicago’s previous administration defunded mental health programs, Mayor Lori Lightfoot tripled the city investment in mental health when she came into office. This city-wide effort increases access to care for areas in most need, including Black and Latinx communities who are disproportionately at risk.

Chicagoans talk a lot about a lot of things in their city — the weather, the sports teams, the potholes, the politicians — but one thing they don’t talk about nearly enough is mental health. In fact, 40 percent of Chicagoans feel that mental health is one of the greatest challenges they are facing, yet deep-seated cultural and community stigmas, and lack of awareness of available resources often keep people from seeking the help they need. So, Edelman created the UN[ ]SPOKEN campaign, a campaign focused on driving awareness, reducing the stigma around mental health and directing residents to vital services available across the city’s 77 neighborhoods.