About 40 protesters rallied in front of Mayor Richard M. Daley’s office this afternoon, calling for the mayor to uphold his promise not to close four South Side mental health centers. Earlier today, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Terry Mason told reporters there was no plan to close any mental health centers.

“There is no plan at this point to close or further consolidate clinics,” he said, adding that CDPH is involved in discussions on how to manage a 50 percent cut in state mental health dollars and a depleted city budget.

He refused to give credence to reports that CPDH officials have discussed closing up to five mental health centers – something the mayor refused to address at a town hall meeting Tuesday night – referring back to comments he made last month when discussing the impact a “doomsday” state budget would mean for public health.

“Regarding mental health, I said that if the state cut our funding the way it appeared they would, ‘There will be 3,100 fewer visits to our mental health clinics – that is to say to those clinics that aren’t closed down,’” Mason said today.

The state is providing just $4.2 million for mental health services, down from $7.2 million last year.

At City Hall, patients frightened by the prospect their clinics might close chanted slogans and delivered a potato sack of letters to Daley.

“I wouldn’t be here and that’s just a fact,” said Margaret Sullivan, who had her suicide planned out before getting treatment at the Beverly-Morgan Park clinic. “I just can’t endure the thought they’ll be closed. It scares me to death.”