S.H.O.P. Talk targets teen mental health by encouraging them to open up — from the barber's chair

Jealissa Presswood feels unstoppable after a fresh haircut.

That feeling is one of the reasons Presswood decided to enroll at Larry's Barber College, to learn how to make others feel the same. Presswood hopes to open a barbershop one day. In the meantime, she makes sure her barber's chair is a place where people can share whatever is weighing on their mind.

"I feel like all barbers should create a safe space for their clients to vent because some might not have that opportunity to vent to others," Presswood said. "I want them to be able to talk about what they want to talk about."

On Sunday, Presswood was among several barbers cutting hair for free at the school's Washington Heights location as part of S.H.O.P Talk, an event that promotes community building and mental health awareness, particularly among young people.

S.H.O.P., which stands for Sharing Hope and Overcoming Pressure, was launched last year by Cook County Commissioner Tara Stamps. Seven events have been held this year across the Chicago area.

Participants were served jerk chicken and veggie pasta before seating themselves in a big circle and introducing themselves. Those who didn't need a haircut played mental health-themed games and spoke to social workers and therapists. Though the meet-up was targeted to teens, people of all ages attended.

Sunday’s event also featured a performance by Footwork dancers to celebrate a resolution that declares August as Footwork Appreciation Month. Stamps added that self expression was also a good way for young people to care for their mental health.

Stamps said the events are held in barbershops and beauty salons because they are traditionally welcoming places where people feel free to talk about their concerns.

"There is a historic kind of safety in a barbershop and beauty salon where people open up," Stamps said.

Miley Melendez, 16, agreed with Stamps. "I love even getting my hair done because you feel good about yourself, and talking to them it feels comfortable." Miley said.

Miley took part in Sunday's event and is also one of the Footwork performers. She said dancing helped her maintain her mental well-being when life got tough.

"It was hard for me to speak about things, so when I found Footwork it became my voice," she said.

Stamps and other elected officials at the event said there was an urgent need to address mental health in Cook County. They cited a 2023 Mental Health America report that found high rates of depression and suicidal ideation on the West and South sides.

It also found that of the 20 ZIP codes with the highest rates of reported suicidal ideation per 100,000 people, 17 were ZIP codes where less than half of those who reported depression identified as white.

The local leaders also noted that youth mental health has worsened since the pandemic. According to a 2023 Youth Risk Behavior survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four in 10 high school students experience persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.

Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon said trauma from violence and poverty were contributing to the strain on young people's mental health in the city. She said more events like Sunday's are needed "to engage open dialog, to share different perspectives, to share our stories and come together and hopefully fight these issues that are plaguing the community."

Gordon and Stamps also talked about the need for more funding for mental health services. But in Chicago, a mental health crisis program is struggling with uncertain funding and staffing shortages.

The Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement program — which began in 2021 to offer clinical help in a mental health crisis and limit police involvement — is set to run out of COVID-19 recovery funding next year.

Seven CARE teams — including a mental health clinician and an emergency medical technician — respond to low-risk 911 calls involving mental health issues in certain police districts, mostly on the South and West sides.

In January, city officials announced the expansion of the CARE program from four police districts to six. But the federal funding that’s largely paid for it is ending.

Mayor Brandon Johnson has said he remains committed to finding city funding to continue the program.