Human Resources Development Institute

About Human Resources Development Institute

Human Resources Development Institute (HRDI) is a community behavioral health center on Chicago’s South Side, offering prevention, intervention, and treatment for substance use and mental health concerns. Founded in 1974 by Dr. C. Vincent Bakeman and Doris M. Lomax to fill a gap in culturally appropriate care for the area, they now operate as a subsidiary of Friend Health, which pairs behavioral health with primary care. Their focus is whole-person care built around self-sufficiency and substance-free living, and they serve people regardless of their ability to pay. Levels of care include outpatient mental health and substance use services and 24-hour residential treatment.

The residential substance use programs house men and women separately, and the women’s program accepts pregnant and parenting mothers, with room for up to 10 children ages 0 to 4. They also provide supervised residential placement for adults with mental health challenges, though this requires enrollment in an HRDI program and depends on availability. Beyond treatment, they offer crisis services, screening and risk assessment, targeted case management, psychiatric rehabilitation, peer and family support, primary care screening, and community-based mental health care for veterans. They accept walk-ins without an appointment and also run a recreational and recovery drop-in center for ongoing community support.