HRDI is a national non-profit with programs in the states of Alabama, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Nevada, more than 500 employees, and an operating budget in excess of $35 million annually. Since its official incorporation on January 22, 1974, HRDI has developed an infrastructure that far surpasses the “typical” social service organizational structure. The organization has expanded to currently serve more than 8,000 clients annually across a variety of treatment areas.

 

Initially concentrating its services in the South and West Sides of Chicago, HRDI primarily focuses its client service matrix on the most underserved Chicago residents. 95 percent of HRDI clients are African Americans, and 56 percent of those served are women, including those with minor children. Nearly 99 percent of clients are at the lowest rung of the socioeconomic ladder and exhibit a host of behaviors that put them at risk for several of the leading causes of premature death, including homicide, sexually-transmitted diseases, HIV infection, and poor health maintenance. For nearly four decades, HRDI has been at the forefront of addressing the health issues impacting the African-American community.

 

In Illinois, HRDI provides an extensive service array to individuals in need:

 

The Division for Mental Health and Rehabilitative Services was the very first division of HRDI created, and provides the highest quality of humanistic care to individuals with mental illness or emotional instability.

 

The HRDI Division for Alcohol, Substance Abuse, and Corrective Services focuses on improving the quality of life for each individual served by fostering self-sufficiency and substance-free living.

 

The HRDI Division for Community Health strives to build a successful working collaboration with individuals and community partners, utilizing the shared objectives of promoting wellness and improving the health of community residents.

 

The Vivian E. Summers Preparatory Middle School and High School comprise an alternative educational program for the Chicago Public Schools system that provides a nurturing and creative learning environment for students who have been removed from the traditional school system due to behavioral problems.