Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital

05/21/2026

No one beat our dance moves during Hospital Week! 😎

🎬🎥 Shout-out to all the VIPs (our entire staff!), and thanks to our Garfield Guardians engagement team for knowing how to throw a party!

Relive some of last week's best moments here.

05/20/2026

For National Trauma Survivors Day, let's dive into the word 'survivor.'

Every day, we see what it means to be a survivor: showing up and opening up to take small steps forward on even the hardest days 💪. At Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital, we meet so many young people who carry experiences no kid or teen should have to face alone.

Healing happens through safe spaces, trusted relationships and care that truly listens. That’s why we use evidence-based trauma therapies, personalized treatment plans and a lot of compassion to help kids and teens process what they’ve been through and build healthy ways to cope.

We care about every patient's story. We care about their progress, and we care about helping them find hope again.

05/19/2026

Congratulations to Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital's Mental Health Specialist (MHS) of the Year, Juan Garcia Gonzalez! 👏🏆

He’s one of those people who just gets it with patients. As an MHS, he’s right there on the unit every day helping kids and teens get through tough moments, supporting them in groups, building trust and making sure they feel safe and heard. Juan shows up steady, patient and ready to help however he can.

And it's the same story behind the scenes. If someone on the team needs help, he’s already there: reliable, easy to work with and making the whole environment better.

This is exactly the kind of person you want taking care of patients, and we’re lucky to have him. 💚

05/18/2026

Different teams, same mission. 👊

It was great to connect and learn with other business development team members at Riveredge Hospital.

It's always a win when we can collaborate and share ideas to bring behavioral healthcare to those that need it most.

Riveredge Hospital was proud to host the Chicagoland Business Development team for a collaborative training with our sister facilities - Hartgrove Behavioral Health System, Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital, and Streamwood Behavioral Healthcare System.

With new talent joining the Chicagoland team, this training focused on strengthening interactions, expanding our networking, and refining our messaging to maximize our community impact.

Grateful for the collaboration and excited to build on this momentum driving our business development efforts to the next level.

05/15/2026

WOW 🤩, Hospital Week 2026 was a jam!

The Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital staff understood the assignment this year. Our red carpet–ready awards premiere led into a full-on glam gala, where we celebrated the people who make this place what it is. We kept it going with an outdoor BBQ and wrapped it all up with some raffle wins. And yes, the 360 booth was a hit! 🎯

📸 Swipe through the pics for a glimpse of the moments that made this week so special. Grateful for a team that shows up for each other and knows how to have fun along the way, and major thanks to our Garfield Guardians engagement team for all the hard work they put in and being amazing hosts!

05/14/2026

Looking forward to this virtual session tomorrow with Hartgrove Behavioral Health System and Mental Health America of Illinois!

Joseph Troiani, Ph.D., CADC, leads a virtual training on Co-Occurring Conditions: Mental Health and Substance Use. He'll break down what's really happening when these conditions overlap, and how providers can respond more effectively.

The FREE session offers 1.5 CEU credits for LSW and LCSW.

Here's what you'll learn:

✔️ How substance use impacts brain functioning, mood and behavior
✔️ The connection between substance use and mental health conditions
✔️ Common risk factors, plus signs of intoxication and withdrawal
✔️ Practical, evidence-informed approaches like harm reduction, MAT and integrated care

✍ Register here to save your spot: https://uhsinc.zoom.us/webinar/register/1017776785141/WN_WWlcSaSTToKgzfWNaR1ozA #/registration

05/14/2026

👀 Take a look behind the scenes at our "Midas Touch After-Party," where we rolled out the red carpet (literally) and set up the velvet ropes for a gala-themed Hospital Week celebration.

We also caught a couple nurses having a VIP moment at our selfie station ✨🤳. And let's be honest, nurses *are* VIPs, and they deserve their time to shine. That's why we're honoring them all month long for Nurses Month.

So here's to the behavioral health nurses that do it all and hold it down for their patients and staff. We have more Hospital Week fun on the way!

05/12/2026

As we wrap up Nurses Week, we're reminded that nursing care looks a little different for behavioral health.

When comparing to other traditional medical settings, the focus shifts from mainly physical treatment to emotional, psychological and relational care.

Every day, our nurses sit with a teen who’s having a tough day, help a child feel safe enough to open up and support families when they’re overwhelmed and looking for hope. Our nurses show up for all of it with so much patience and compassion, and we're so grateful for every one of them. 💚

05/11/2026

🎬 We just premiered "The Garries," Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital's own Oscars-style award show to kick off National Hospital Week, and our "Walking Encyclopedia Award" proudly went to Delia Welsh. 🏆

She's been a milieu supervisor here for just over a year, and she's already made big impacts with her patients and teammates. Everyone appreciates her positive energy, plus she *really* knows her stuff and is always willing to help out.

We loved seeing this year's winners watch it all unfold as our executive leadership team members played their roles and delivered their lines (let’s just say, Hollywood might be calling… or maybe they should stick to their day jobs 😄). Looking forward to more great events all week long!

05/07/2026

When it comes to your child's mental health, how do you know when it’s more than just a rough day or a phase?

A few signs to watch for:

😢 Persistent sadness or withdrawal
😴 Changes in sleeping or eating habits
😡 Outbursts of anger or irritability
😖 Trouble concentrating or keeping up in school

Every child has ups and downs, but if something feels constant or too intense, trust your gut.

Reach out if your child’s struggles stick around, get worse or interfere with their daily life. We're here to help.



👀https://www.facebook.com/hartgrovebhs/posts/pfbid0JUoARZomvLuXfddXXPoCBbQTGALq7VpmpUJYZSAE33rRYBK8vM52EJKzMtCMETv7l

Navigating the world of children's mental health can feel daunting for any parent or guardian. As awareness around mental health continues to grow, it's important to recognize when a child may need help and understand the steps to take. This article aims to provide clear guidance on identifying pote...

05/06/2026

Congrats to Justyna Bukowski, RN, BSN, on her promotion to assistant director of nursing! 👏

She joined us just 8 months ago as our clinical nurse manager, and she's been a nurse for 10 years. Growing up, she recognized that people with mental health struggles need a lot of help, and she knew she wanted to be a behavioral health nurse while in nursing school.

Justyna is always looking to improve how behavioral healthcare is delivered. As a leader, she feels she can really influence patient care on a larger scale by helping the nursing team function at its best. She's especially passionate about Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital's Polaris Program, our specialized program for LGBTQ+ adolescents navigating mental health challenges. Our goal with Polaris is to help LGBTQ+ adolescents find their direction, feel confident and know they are never alone.

💬 As Justyna put it: "We care a lot about providing an inclusive space here. It’s a big part of what drew me to the hospital. I knew I wanted to work here as soon as I saw the pride flag out front 🌈. My purpose is to support the most vulnerable patients. I can relate to some of the kids' stories, and there’s a pull for me to protect children that are struggling. If I can get just one child to smile today, I made a difference."