In 1975, Haymarket Center was established in Chicago by Monsignor Ignatius McDermott and Dr. James West, who recognized addiction as a disease and advocated for treatment over criminalization.

Today, more than five decades later, the center continues to support individuals struggling with substance abuse.

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At the helm of this organization is Dr. Dan Lustig, serving as the President and CEO.

“Haymarket Center is the largest comprehensive treatment facility in Chicago,” Dr. Lustig explained. “We provide treatment for individuals dealing with substance use disorders, mental health issues, and primary care needs. We are a 24/7, year-round facility dedicated to meeting the needs of anyone seeking help.”

Upon arrival, individuals undergo an assessment to identify their most pressing needs and to develop an effective treatment plan. Dr. Lustig emphasized that clients have immediate access to care.

The center’s clinical operations are overseen by Kenyatta Cathey, the Chief Clinical Officer at Haymarket Center.

“Unfortunately we still live in a time where stigma prevails,” Cathey said. “There is a belief that this is a choice that the person is making. They’re not looking at this as a disease. We’re not looking at these individuals as humans that need the same love and compassion that you would have for a family member with a primary medical health condition. And I think that is one thing that we have learned, that we need to treat this situation as a disease.”

For those seeking help and wanting to know they’re in the right place, Cathey says, “We have no wrong doors. As soon as you walk into our facility, we’re looking at this person as the whole person. We’re looking at their primary health condition, we’re looking at their behavioral health condition, and any physical health conditions they may have. And we believe that you should treat all three conditions simultaneously, because if you don’t, there’s going to be a relapse to the other. “

Over the 50 years since Haymarket’s founding, treatments have changed and improved.

“We’ve come a very long way. There’s many pharmaceutical medications out there that help people not just deal with cravings, but also it’s a biologic they can have on a monthly basis that really helps them to manage that craving or desire to use,” Cathey said.

Antoine High and Melinda McMichael work at Haymarket Center, and both were previously clients.

McMichael says she had a ten plus year substance use history. And she says she was in and out of the criminal justice system for many years.

“And I got to a place in my life where I was so desperate for help,” McMichael said. “I was tired of hurting the people around me, my family, my children. Breaking promises and just going through pain. And I really wanted the help to learn how to stay sober and to get my life back.”

High says he found himself “broken, in and out of the jail system. In and out of abandoned buildings, being an open shame to my family. “

At point he was given a choice, go to jail or get help. And that’s how he wound up at Haymarket Center.

“They gave me an opportunity to have a job,” McMichael said. “And that really, really motivated me to help me build my confidence and get back in the community. I was able to get my son back, from the Department of Children and Family Services. It was not easy, but I could not do it alone. The help offered at Haymarket Center is so unique, and so strategically crafted to help all people in this community.”

For more information on the Haymarket Center gala: https://haymarketcenter.org/gala/