Hartgrove Behavioral Health System

02/20/2026

Some unhealthy relationship behaviors show up slowly over time, and they’re not always obvious. Sometimes it’s the little things that chip away at someone’s confidence or make them feel scared, pressured or controlled. And for teens, it can be especially hard to spot when something crosses the line.

At Hartgrove Behavioral Health System, we work with young people every day who sort through these complicated situations. We know how tough it can be to recognize destructive patterns, especially when you care about the person involved. Our team helps teens understand what healthy relationships look like, how to set boundaries and how to get support when something feels off.

No one should feel intimidated or controlled in a relationship. We care about your safety, and we’re here to listen and make sure every teen knows they deserve respect. 🧡

02/19/2026

What a milestone! Iryna Martynets, RN, just hit 10 years as a nurse at Hartgrove Behavioral Health System! 🎉

For the past decade, Iryna has created an environment where patients know they are heard, respected and free from judgment. She's consistent, approachable and transparent with her patients, and she knows even small gestures like validating someone's feelings can help them feel less alone.

Iryna wants more people to know that reaching out for help is a sign of courage: 💬 "Mental health challenges are very real, and just like any other health concern, they deserve proper treatment and support. Help is available, and there is hope. Hartgrove takes a comprehensive and individualized approach. We focus on collaboration by bringing together medical expertise, therapeutic care and strong support systems to guide patients toward lasting recovery."

👏 Here's to 10 years and many more!

02/18/2026

🍎🍞🥫 Free food TOMORROW! 🍅🍌🥦

Our friends at Collaborative Bridges are doing something great in the city at their food giveaway event, and we're proud to help spread the word!

Access to fresh food is such an important part of total wellness. Eating well can help stabilize mood, reduce stress and support overall emotional resilience. When barriers like cost or availability get in the way, communities feel it, and events like this help close that gap and ensure more people can access the resources they deserve.

Collaborative Bridges is proud to partner with Top Box Foods to support our community. We will be distributing boxes filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, bread, and pantry staples.

When: Thursday, February 19, 2026

Time: 2pm – 5pm (While supplies last!)

Where: 4221 W. Lake Street, Chicago, IL

For more information, give us a call at 872-235-0777. Spread the word and see you there!

02/17/2026

Give it up for our newest team members! 👏

Orientation is a big deal around here, and this crew crushed it. As one new employee put it: 💬 "This has been the most comprehensive orientation I have ever had."

Our onboarding program is intentionally hands‑on, immersive and people‑focused. You can’t learn the job by sitting in a room doing modules all day. So instead, our new hires spend their first week learning side‑by‑side with executive team leaders and clinicians who live our mission every day.

Even our CEO presents and answers questions throughout the week! It’s one of the things our orientees mention most: feeling seen, supported and genuinely welcomed from day one, all the way from the top.

Why do we put so much effort into orientation? Because we really care, and when our staff feels confident and cared for, our patients feel it too. A strong start leads to strong care, and that’s what we’re all about.

02/14/2026

Our Expressive Therapy team hosted a Valentine’s cookie‑decorating party for our patients, and the vibes were as good as the cookies!

Creative events like these help patients slow down, stay present and express themselves in a low-pressure, sensory-friendly way (plus, it's just fun to decorate something you get to enjoy afterward 🍪😋). And simple activities with feel-good benefits can mean a lot during treatment.

Happy Valentine's Day! 💟

02/13/2026

Our team had a great time attending Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School's Career Day event last week, and if these two pictured are any indication, the students there are exactly the type we hope to have working with us at Hartgrove one day! 😉

From Dr. Ashley Kuhl Piwowarski, Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Executive Director of Outpatient Services (left, Class of 2002):
💬 "Many students seemed interested in our hospital system in particular because of our work with kids and teens as well as underserved and clinically complex populations. It was encouraging to see so many young people who are thinking of a career in human services and healthcare. I personally had no exposure to behavioral healthcare before entering college and had to work pretty hard to find behavioral health professionals, even in a college setting, to learn more about their work and decide if this was something I wanted to pursue. In attending these kinds of events, providers can demonstrate the immense value of our work and continue to help demystify and destigmatize mental health on the whole."

From Sabrina Perrino, LCSW, Director of Clinical Services (right, Class of 2012):
💬 "I loved sharing my passion for my career as a behavioral health clinician and seeing students' faces light up! To discuss that while this field can be challenging, it should not be feared as it's very rewarding! Taking the time to talk to young people gives me hope that future generations will also find this work essential. We need more social workers and healthcare workers, but most of all we need good people who understand and support the importance of accessible behavioral healthcare."

Thanks to the Mighty Macs for having us!

02/12/2026

🤔 Medication questions? We care, and we hear you.

Families often start with their child's pediatrician for mental health support, and that’s a great first step. Our Schoolhouse Counseling Center clinicians add another layer: highly specialized training in psychiatric medications and how they impact kids throughout the school day.

Our clinicians work exclusively in behavioral health and bring day‑to‑day experience and a whole‑team approach to navigating meds. They understand what a medication does and how it fits into a child’s larger emotional world, like school life, friendships, stress, therapy goals... all of it.

As our Clinical Program Director, Tracy Stone, LCPC, ICDVP, says: 💬 "We realize it can feel overwhelming to manage medication for your child. Our psych providers work hand‑in-hand with families and therapists to help ensure positive outcomes."

The Schoolhouse Counseling Center meets students right where they already are, so kids get the most well‑rounded care possible where they spend most of their time. Whether your child already takes medication or you’re just exploring options, our team will guide, collaborate and help you feel confident in the journey.

02/11/2026

📽️✨ Meet Olivia Bowen, former student of our psychology training program!

Sure, she may have been a bit nervous (seriously, who isn't?) before starting her role as a diagnostic psychology extern, but she quickly realized that:

✔️ Building rapport with patients is her jam.
✔️ Our team here lets you be YOU.
✔️ Working in a behavioral health hospital? Definitely not scary at all. In fact, it's fun!

At Hartgrove Behavioral Health System, we're so proud of Olivia and all our externs who gain real, hands-on experience with a team that's always got their back, and we love providing the jump that launches their mental health career. Our highly experienced pros teach you A LOT here, so if you're a student that's hyped to learn more, 📧 shoot us an email for the deets: hartgrovepsychtraining@uhsinc.com.

02/10/2026

Every day, people step into our TRAUMA Program and show us what real courage looks like 💪.

Trauma-informed care remains a core component of our clinical approach, as nearly 70% of the patients we assess enter Hartgrove's TRAUMA Program. This number shows just how common trauma really is and how it's vital to create a safe, evidence-informed environment for patients to process and and move toward meaningful recovery at their own pace.

We're incredibly proud that we were the first facility in the nation to receive Disease-Specific Certification for Trauma-Informed Care from The Joint Commission, and we're even more proud of our patients.

If you or a loved one are thinking about taking that courageous step, it's okay to be nervous, and it's okay to take it slow. We care, and we'll meet you exactly where you are. 💙

02/09/2026

Simple, reliable and judgment-free. 🎯

We are honored to work with Collaborative Bridges to help remove barriers to care and provide much-needed resources to the community.

Learn more about what they do below. 👇

Support should be simple, reliable, and judgment free. 🌉 At Collaborative Bridges, we start by listening to our community instead of making assumptions.
From food and housing to mental health and crisis care, we remove the barriers that stand between you and your well being.

Our goal is to provide the ongoing, consistent support you need so you can focus on what matters most: stability, growth, and hope.
Need a bridge to the right resources? Visit thecollaborativebridges.org to learn more. 🔗

02/06/2026

Dr. Mae Jemison's words hit especially close to home for us. As a physician, engineer and the first Black woman to travel into space 🚀, she spent her career advocating for science education, inclusivity and expanding what we believe is possible.

In behavioral healthcare, those "limitations" can show up as stigma, doubt, fear or the belief that someone’s story can’t change. But every day, we see our patients rewrite those narratives ✍.

At Hartgrove Behavioral Health System, we help patients break out of the boxes stigma tries to build. We treat the whole individual, and we care deeply about creating an environment where people can imagine a brighter future for themselves *and* actually reach it.

Let’s keep expanding what’s possible together. 🙌

02/05/2026

We always appreciate spending time with our friends over at Metropolitan Family Services. Did you know their organization has been serving Chicago-area families since 1857? 😮👏

By providing counseling, education, legal aid and mental health support to those that need it most, their mission aligns closely with our own. Teaming up with them means we’re able to support patients and families far beyond what happens inside our hospital walls. Metropolitan Family Services’ wraparound, holistic approach helps ensure our patients have strong community resources backing them every step of the way.

🤝 A partnership like this strengthens the safety net that helps our patients heal and succeed long‑term, and that’s the kind of community care we love to be part of.