Chicago Resources

Treatment - Staying Off Crystal

Howard Brown Health Center
4025 N. Sheridan, Chicago
Contact: Lisa Rivitz (773) 388-8886 or Kurt Mohning (773) 388-3905

Recovering with Pride is an integrated LGBT treatment program utilizing mental health, social services, medical care and substance abuse counseling to address the whole person. Some insurance plans accepted and sliding scale available. Outpatient services offered six days a week. Saturday drop-in from 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Crystal Clear is an intensive outpatient treatment program that works to address your medical, mental health, and social service needs so you can focus on building a clean and healthy life. The program is part of the City of Chicago's effort to address meth use in the LGBTQ community. The program provides free-of-charge counseling for members of the LGBTQ community struggling with meth abuse or dependence who have limited financial resources and are uninsured or underinsured. Please call the Crystal Clear helpline at 773-388-8891 for more info.

Haymarket Center
4753 N. Broadway
Suite 612, Chicago
(773) 506-2839
Crystal meth hotline: 877-METHLINE (877-638-4546)

Haymarket Center
932 W. Washington, Chicago
(312) 226-7984
Crystal meth hotline: 877-METHLINE (877-638-4546)

Valeo at Chicago Lakeshore Hospital
4840 N. Marine Drive, Chicago
(800) 888-0560

Provides comprehensive psychiatric and addiction-related treatment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) individuals. The program offers a safe, affirming therapeutic environment for members of the LGBTQ community.

Support

Howard Brown Health Center
4025 N. Sheridan, Chicago
Saturday afternoons from 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Call Lisa Rivitz, 773-388-8886 for more info.

Contemplations - For those who are beginning to question their substance use, recently stopped drinking/using or who just want to learn more about the effects of drugs and alcohol. This individual drop-in service is both private and confidential and offered at Howard Brown every Saturday (excluding holiday weekends) from 1:30-2:30 pm. Learn what defines a substance "abuse" problem, what options are available, and what your next step may be. There is no fee or registration required to participate.

Center on Halsted
3656 N. Halsted St., Chicago
(773) 472-6469

LGBT Family & Partner Support Group
This is an eight-week support group for people with significant others or family members who are struggling with substance abuse. The group will create a safe, therapeutic environment for members to process feelings of anger, frustration, and helplessness and to share thoughts and strategies about how to cope and to improve the situation.

Crystal Meth Anonymous(CMA)
Ongoing 12 step group meetings www.crystalmeth.org For a current list of meetings in Chicago, please visit Crystal Meth Anonymous Chicago.

Needle Exchange / Syringe

Chicago Recovery Alliance (CRA)
Contact: (773) 860-1807
www.anypositivechange.org
Multiple locations and times throughout Chicagoland

Better Existence with HIV (BEHIV)
1244 W. Thorndale, Chicago Office
(773) 293 - 4740
www.behiv.org

Community Outreach Intervention Project (COIP)
4407 N. Broadway, Chicago
(773) 561-3177
www.coip.org
Multiple locations throughout Chicagoland

Pharmacy Access
www.aidschicago.org/prevention/syringes.php
Individuals 18 years of age and older may purchase up to 20 syringes without a prescription at Illinois pharmacies, as part of Illinois Public Act 93-392 passed in 2003.

Test Positive Aware Network
5537 N. Broadway
(773) 989-9400

HIV/STD Testing

The Chicago Department of Public Health offers free, anonymous and confidential HIV testing at the following locations.

Lakeview Specialty Clinic
2861 N. Clark, Chicago
(312) 744-5507

Englewood Specialty Clinic
641 W. 63rd St., Chicago
(312) 747-8911

Roseland Specialty Clinic
200 W. 115th St., Chicago
(312) 747-2817

South Austin Specialty Clinic
4958 W. Madison, Chicago
(312) 746-4871

West Town Specialty Clinic
2418 W. Division, Chicago
(312) 742-4092

More HIV and STD testing below.
Call or click for more info.

Chicago Recovery Alliance (CRA)
(773) 860-1807

Better Existence with HIV (BEHIV)
6925 N. Ashland, Chicago
(773) 381-6300

Center on Halsted
3656 N. Halsted St., Chicago
(773) 472-6469

Community Outreach Intervention Project (COIP)
4407 N. Broadway, Chicago
(773) 561-3177

Haymarket Center (uptown)
4753 N. Broadway
Suite 612, Chicago
(773) 506-2839
(877) MethLin(e)

Heartland Health Outreach
1015 W. Lawrence, Chicago
(773) 275-2060

Howard Area Community Center
7648 N. Paulina
(773) 262-6622

Howard Brown Health Center
4025 N. Sheridan, Chicago
(773) 388-1600

Steamworks
3246 N. Halsted, Chicago
(773) 929-6081

Test Positive Aware Network
5537 N. Broadway
(773) 989-9400

OTHER HIV-RELATED SERVICES
Access the HIV Services Directory at www.tpan.com or AIDS Connect to learn about other HIV-related services available in metropolitan Chicago.

Law Enforcement

Concerned about crystal meth dealers in your community? Take action. To ANONYMOUSLY report the sale or distribution of crystal meth, please contact Lieutenant Robert Stasch of the Chicago Police Department. E-mail him at Robert.stasch@chicagopolice.org or call 312-744-6207.

Education Information

Crystal meth expert Susan Kingston from Seattle spoke at the Center on Halsted on June 27, as part of the "Preventing HIV: Ethics, Activism and Promising New Strategies" speaker series. Download a PDF of Susan's full remarks - "Crystal Meth: What the DEA and the Gay Media Won't Tell You".

Check out "Breaking the Grip: Treating Crystal Methamphetamine Addiction Among Gay and Bisexual Men," a report released by the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association in November 2006. Some of Chicago's very own treament providers and advocates, including members of the Chicago Task Force on LGBT Subsance Use and Abuse, were integrally involved with the project.

Click here for the text from the Letter to the Editor published in the Chicago Free Press, Gay Chicago and Windy City Times regarding being a smart consumer of treatment.

Click here for local news articles on the controversial Prometa protocol.

Click here for "Staying Skeptical of Addiciton Treatment" from STATS at George Mason Univeristy.

Click here for "Perspectives on Hythiam's Prometa Treatment for Addiction" from the fall 2006 quarterly newsletter of the California Society in Addiction Medicine (PDF).