Responding to mental health needs

The Health Department has a long-standing reputation for excellence in Behavioral and Mental Health Services. From a client’s initial assessment to his or her independence and employment, multi-disciplinary teams prescribe and deliver the best treatment available. But not everyone who called was accepted for treatment. Through the years more and more mental health consumers were referred elsewhere for treatment when their illness was not considered serious enough.

Early in 1998, the Mental Health Initiative Task Force, chaired by DuPage Human Services Administrator Margo E. Schreiber, began meeting to study unmet needs. The Task Force included representatives from the medical community, behavioral and human service agencies, consumers, and legislators, as well as Health Department staff. Research on other counties demonstrated dramatic differences in mental health funding from the Illinois Department of Human Services. Figures showed that DuPage County, with a population of more than 870,000, received a disproportionately small amount for mental health funding compared with other Illinois counties such as Lake, Lawrence, Wabash, Bond and Clay.

Additionally, the Task Force identified some 16 unmet needs, including housing and vocational services to the homeless mentally ill, outreach to the Hispanic population, services for the geriatric population and respite beds for children and adolescents.

Headed by Ms. Schreiber, the Task Force took its concerns to Howard Peters, Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services. In June, Secretary Peters announced the Health Department would receive an additional $500,000 in mental health funding for fiscal year 1998.

“These tangible results signify the recognition by state officials of the unmet needs we have identified, and the commitment of our leaders to improve the quality of life of our citizens,” said Executive Director Dr. David R. McNutt, “but our work has only just begun.”

These funds enabled the Health Department to offer support services and help in finding housing to homeless persons with a mental illness. The new Homeless Assertive Case Management team began aggressively identifying and providing case management services to homeless mentally ill clients. The goal is psychiatric stabilization, leading to a stable lifestyle and permanent housing. The funds will also be used to add two clustered apartment sites for chronically mentally ill DuPage residents. Plans call for the opening of 12 more apartments to serve 28 clients.

Mental health services in DuPage County were further strengthened in September when Secretary Peters came to the Health Department to announce the award of a grant of $571,745 to treat mentally ill substance abusers. The Behavioral and Mental Health Services Unit will coordinate use of these funds among several agencies (in addition to the Health Department) to coordinate effective treatment for those residents with both a mental illness and a substance abuse problem. DuPage County was chosen as one of five pilot areas across Illinois partly because of an existing service system capable of supporting the initiative.

The Task Force continued its work after the announcement of the additional funds. In August, members met with a number of Illinois legislators to discuss long range mental health funding needs. The task force will continue its work in 1999.

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