Garden Club at Chicago-Read Mental Health Center

The Garden Club, an occupational therapy group at the hospital, was created to provide our consumers with the opportunity to discover the joys of gardening while enhancing the beauty of the hospital courtyard. Consumers participate in every aspect of the garden, from building raised beds to planting and tending fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. The consumers learn the cycle of producing their own food and enjoy tasting the fruits of their labor. After the produce is harvested, anything not consumed by group members is sold at an internal farmers’ market at affordable prices. 

The Garden Club has expanded to include an annual flower garden that adds color and features a butterfly garden to support biodiversity in our ecosystem. Our consumers learn about the vital role they play in tending to gardens that nourish themselves, pollinators, and other animals, which in turn support our own well-being. In the years to come, we plan to add a sensory garden. 

Contact Mary Ann Sornito, OTR/L maryann.sornito@illinois.gov 773-794-3758

Population Served
Our hospital serves a diverse population of adults with diagnoses of serious mental illness. The hospital comprises primarily long-term care units, including civil units, forensic units, and a unit serving the needs of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. All individuals we serve experience psychiatric conditions or have histories that require mental health services in an inpatient setting. Many of them face additional challenges such as being uninsured and/or lacking documentation. Our goal is to provide comprehensive support and care to promote recovery and well-being for everyone.

Services Offered
Occupational therapy

Staff Composition
Co-led by two occupational therapists with an American Sign Language interpreter when needed/available

Cost to Participate
Participation is free to consumers receiving inpatient hospital services.