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Julianne Hill
Writer/Producer Worldwide Skur, Inc.
Chicago, Ill., USA

TOPIC: Examine the work in Chicago to reduce the stigma and challenges facing individuals with mental illnesses through a series of television news pieces. Topics will include care for refugees with mental disorders, services available for the homeless, and medical explanations and solutions for serious mental illnesses.

Projects:

O'Hare Homeless
Chicago's O'Hare Airport is frequented by homeless individuals, some of which have substance abuse problems or have mental or physical illnesses. The O'Hare Outreach program of Haymarket Center helps these individuals get help.

Psychiatric Neurosurgery
This news special features a young man who suffered from severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He underwent psychiatric neurosurgery, in which an electrical device was implanted into his brain that stimulates the frontal lobe, to improve his condition.

Arts and Healing
This news special features a camp for children who have lost a parent. The camp serves as a safe place for the children to express their emotions through art and other

This two-part series examines the debate by world-class scientists if a connection between tics, Tourette's, obsessive-compulsive disorder and extreme anxiety and strep infections. We learnt first-hand about the syndrome, known as PANDAS, through the Evert family, whose young son struggled with these illnesses

If laughter is the best medicine then Chicago must be the feel-good city. After all, it's the home of improvisational theater. Now researchers at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine are looking at other benefits of laughter.

Freelance reporter Julianne Hill reports on efforts to help college students with psychological problems adapt to school.

Yesterday, we learned about a young boy named Bailey Evert. After a bout of strep, Bailey began having symptoms of mental illnesses. He exhibited physical tics, feelings of severe anxiety, and signs of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

The acronym "ADHD" tends to conjure up images of very busy eight-year-old boys. But Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder isn't just for kids. Sometimes, it's just not outgrown.

WBEZ's Out of the Shadows series looked to identify some factors that could exacerbate mental illness in teens--among them, sexuality. Straight or gay, coming to terms with one's sexuality is one of the biggest hurdles a teenager crosses. Transgendered people often face ridicule that can trigger anxiety and depression--often accompanied by alcohol and drug abuse.

Many newly diagnosed Alzheimer's patients go through the stressful phase of realizing they are losing their memory while still having enough insight to know that, over time, they will no longer be able to care for themselves.