St. Clair County Transit District and Chestnut Health Systems Partnership Highlighted During Recent National Mental Health Conference

Last week, more than 4,000 mental health professionals convened in the St. Louis region for a national health conference including mobile workshops highlighting the unique mental health partnership on transit. St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) Managing Director Ken Sharkey was given the opportunity to highlight the SCCTD’s partnership with Chestnut Health Systems through mobile workshops on transit. The program is now a model for other cities on how to address social and mental health issues on transit.

The partnership with Chestnut Health Systems was initiated in 2021 with the placement of Chestnut behavioral health providers on MetroLink trains and at various transit centers. The program has many goals, including:

• identify riders in need of community resources,
• convene with area social service and treatment providers to assist riders, and
• improve overall rider experiences.