The F2 Clinic treats people 18 to 35 who:

1. Are diagnosed with a serious mental illness, including:
   1. Schizophrenia
   2. Schizoaffective Disorder
   3. Bipolar Disorder
   4. Major Depression
   5. Generalized Anxiety Disorder or Panic Disorder
   6. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

2. Have a desire to enter into competitive employment or education but have struggled to do so independently.

F2 Clinic Services

After you contact the F2 Clinic, you first meet with a therapist to talk about your mental health care experiences. The two of you will discuss your goals for the future. Then, you will meet with other members of the F2 Clinic team who are specialists in their areas. They will help you make an action plan, with steps to take toward your better future.

For example, our specialists can assist with job placement through their relationships with local employers. As you explore different job opportunities, therapists can help you consider how task demands or the environment will affect your success there. They will also make recommendations to employers or schools on your behalf. Our therapists also have expertise in managing family conflicts that may come up over the course of your recovery.

Your time at the F2 Clinic could include the following services:

• Supported education and employment: Explore educational or vocational opportunities of your choice.
• Peer support: Receive individual or group support from other young adults who live with a mental illness and have successfully returned to work or school.
• Individual therapy: Explore how you can change your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to reach your goals.
• Family therapy: Explore how your family can support your effort to return to work or school.
• Neuropsychological testing: Complete comprehensive testing to better understand your cognitive strengths and challenges, and their effect on your return to work or school.
• Occupational therapy: Develop strategies to manage your symptoms and any cognitive barriers to success.
• Medication Management:Find an individualized medication regimen that helps to ease distressing symptoms.

The team who works with you at the F2 Clinic will stay in communication with your current treatment providers.

Expectations for Focused Forward Clinic

• Clients have to participate in more than one treatment modality
• Clients to meet with their clinicians at least every two weeks initially

Learn more about the Focused Forward Clinic services.

For more information about the program, contact Lauren Walker at lwalker3@nm.org. 

F2 Clinic services are provided on the downtown Chicago campus of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, convenient to many forms of transportation.