ARCHER HEIGHTS — A West Side hospital is leading a new program to address the mental health needs of children and teens on the Southwest Side and increase their access to care.
The Supportive Psychiatry and Resilience for Kids program, or SPARK, opened this week at Saint Anthony Children’s Hospital’s Archer Clinic, 4177 S. Archer Ave. in Brighton Park, offering primary care, therapy, medication management, social work, parental support and school consultations.
The program is launching with three providers and will treat patients up to age 18 who are on Medicaid.
“With the SPARK program, we’re all a dedicated team helping to provide the service to children with mental health needs from an individualized patient perspective and approach,” said Dr. Anoop Takher, Saint Anthony’s director of child and adolescent psychiatry. “We truly try to make each and every family feel like they are being cared for, and we will do everything that we can to help them achieve their best possible outcomes.”
One goal of the program is to decrease wait times for patients as they seek mental health treatment. Takher said he has seen Saint Anthony patients wait more than six months for an appointment to see a child psychiatrist. He’s also seen countless patients on Medicaid looking for services, just to be placed on waitlists with no clear timetable.
“What happens is, either [patients] forget about it or they don’t necessarily follow through with making those appointments because they’re so far out,” Takher said.
From doctors to pharmacists to therapists, the average mental health patient must also regularly interact with different types of healthcare providers at different locations.
“Putting all these pieces together to provide kids a holistic approach to their treatment” will streamline the process, Tahker said.
At SPARK, “we will get you those services as soon as possible — within one to two weeks,” he said.
“It’s been a wonder to see how kids can seamlessly have both ends of the spectrum in their treatment at this one-stop shop for their psychiatric care,” Takher said.
The program is looking to expand in order to accept other insurance providers, Takher said.
For more information about SPARK, visit the program’s website or call 773-446-2960.
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