TOTAL STUDENT POPULATION IN:


510,421 NEW YORK


1 IN 4


CHICAGO RESIDENTS RECEIVED THEIR DEGREE FROM AN AUC INSTITUTION


261,778 LOS ANGELES


224,788 145,512


CHICAGO PHILADELPHIA


Loyola launches new Community and Family Services clinic


2020 PLAN


This spring, the University will open the Loyola Community and Family Services clinic, an effort to provide low-cost behavioral and men- tal health services to the members of the Rogers Park and Edgewater communities. The clinic strives to improve the quality of life for local


community members by addressing societal health disparities. “There is a great need for mental health services across the


board, but especially in this area,” says Richard Renfro, PhD, director of the new clinic. “Very few mental health clinics cater to marginalized families and children. My hope is that this clinic sends a strong and positive message that Loyola is committed to the needs and well-being of all our community members.” The clinic is part of the


University’s five-year strategic plan, Plan 2020: Building a More Just, Humane, and Sustainable World, and is a project of Lake Shore Community Partners, an innovative new program that builds on the University’s exist- ing relationships in Rogers Park and Edgewater. Lake Shore Community Partners will focus on four priorities—health, busi- ness, education, and safety— and work to improve the quality of life for area residents through economic and social efforts. Offering psychological assessments and individual, group, and


residents has received their degree from one of the 22 AUC institutions. But that’s not all. AUC bodies


also have a profound impact on the culture and community of Chicago. The students, faculty, and alumni of AUC colleges and universities have been major driving forces behind the music, theatre, and art scenes of Chicago for years. The leaders on this initiative


believe that the potential value and impact of Chicago’s higher education sector is underutilized and not widely recognized, despite its numerous benefits to the city. AUC wishes to brand Chicago as a vibrant college town, one where students can experience the city as


a campus—whether they are enjoy- ing the cultural offerings, getting internships, or taking advantage of post-graduation career and lifestyle opportunities. They also want to find ways to determine how the colleges and universities can work together to benefit not just their students and faculty but also the greater Chicago community, the workforce, and the economy. Loyola will be getting directly


involved with the initiative this sum- mer when it hosts the International Town Gown Association’s annual conference June 4-6. L


LEARN MORE americasurbancampus.org


“ My hope is that this clinic sends a strong and positive message that Loyola is committed to the needs and well-being of all our community members.” —RICHARD RENFRO, PHD


family therapy, the clinic will act as a resource for families who live in the communities around Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus. With help from community partners, the clinic aims to serve families that would otherwise not have access to behavioral and mental health care due to low income or inadequate health insurance. “Sometimes therapy is pictured as this really comfy, warm, and safe thing,” Renfro says. “But a lot of times you enter the commu- nity, and it’s not simple. It’s messy, but it’s definitely a necessity.” The clinic will also be a training facility for graduate students


within the School of Education and the School of Social Work. Starting in the fall, students will spend half of their time at the clinic and the other half working at schools in the area, such as Senn High School, the clinic’s first school partner. Renfro hopes that in the next few years, the clinic will expand


the types of mental health services offered, but for now he’s happy to see the project get off the ground. “It’s been a wonderful opportunity to create something from scratch,” he says. “This is not something that happened overnight, and now it’s coming to fruition. At the University level, everyone is excited.” — Ana Plefka


SPRING 2016 29


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