Alternatives

Come one, come all to the Alternatives Community Carnival!

Join the fun with carnival games, prizes and food for free.

🗓️ June 17, 2026
⏰ 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
📍Trimuel Legacy Center
7522 S. Greenwood Ave
Chicago, IL 60619

📅 SAVE THE DATE: Alternatives' next Cocktails & Complicity is July 9, 2026.

Join us for part 3 of our 4-part series on Community Care to discuss rights in the workplace with Yadira Montoya from and Lauren Wright from .

Eventbrite link coming soon.

HUGE NEWS and a BIG WIN for our communities: On Wednesday, May 13, the Mayor announced citywide rollout of the CARE Program, a non-police mental health crisis response team. CARE clinicians are trained behavioral health professionals who provide de-escalation, brief counseling, and transportation to crisis stabilization centers and behavioral health emergency rooms if needed. With this program, *the city no longer has to rely exclusively on police intervention for mental health crises* (we told you this was huge news).

Alternatives has been working closely with the Collaborative for Community Wellness (CCW) on the rollout and expansion of this program. Chicago is the first major city in the US to make its non-police crisis response citywide, and we're excited to see this change for our city. 👏🏿 👏🏽 👏🏼

CARE models so much of what Alternatives stands for: holistic, trauma-informed care; a non-punitive approach; and accessible services. We're proud of the work we've done with CCW to advocate for this program, and for this historic achievement.

For more information and to read the Mayor's press release, visit https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases/2026/may/citywide-CARE-expansion.html.

Tickets now available for Cocktails & Complicity on May 7, featuring Amanda Hwu from Illinois Community Power Fund. Link in bio.