Opponents of the plan to close four city-run mental health centers staged a sit-in at Mayor Richard M. Daley’s office this afternoon in hopes of meeting with the mayor or his chief of staff, Paul Volpe.

As  about 20 protestors marched and chanted slogans outside the mayor’s office, Volpe agreed to look into the issue. 

“We asked the chief of staff to prevent (the closings),” says Darryl Gumm, chairman of the Community Mental Health Board. “We are waiting to hear back from him later today as to whether or not he’s able to accomplish that.”

Gumm and others say they've sought a meeting since January. Gumm says this is  the first time the Daley administration has agreed to meet with him since he started with the Community Mental Health Board, 17 years ago.

The city has blamed a $1.2 million loss in state funding for the closures.

Patients say they’re worried about their future.

Helen Morley, a patient at Beverly-Morgan Park, says her new center will be North River in Hollywood Park on the city’s North Side. She says she feels betrayed by the city.

“These people are telling us in here that it don’t matter if we live or die,” she said after the meeting.

Fred Friedman, a patient at North River and founder of the advocacy group Next Steps, says the coalition hopes Volpe keeps his word.

“One of the things the chief said to us is that he cares about us,” Friedman said. “We’re giving him tonight to prove it.”

Advocates have lobbied to keep the centers open since the closures were announced in January. Last month the City Council’s health committee held a hearing on the issue.

But Gumm says the hearing was called simply to placate advocates.

“They don’t understand the desperation of these people facing the closing of the services," he says. "The dogs and cats are being taken care of better than people.”

Gumm says he expects to hear from Volpe tonight. He says the coalition will continue to fight for the centers and for patients, no matter what decision is made.

“We’re hopeful. We think it’s a significant point that they finally met with us,” he says. “This is not going to stop. This is not going to fail. These people are too important to our community. People are more important than buildings, more important than fountains, more important than the Olympics.”

Gumm says the group will regroup this evening and explore its options, including what legal options may be available.

The four centers scheduled to close tomorrow are Back-of-the-Yards, Beverly-Morgan Park, Greater Grand/Mid-South and Woodlawn.