The rise in opioid abuse, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise in suicides, and the recent mass shootings are among the factors that have pushed mental health issues to the forefront of society.
The Nov. 8 poll saw a tax referendum to fund mental health services in several suburban townships, with voters reaching out into their pockets to pay for these services. Willingness is tested.
Voters in the townships of Wheeling, Vernon, Schaumburg, Lyle, Winfield, Addison, Naperville and Will County approve the creation of 708 mental health boards in November and set new property taxes to pay them Volunteer committees appointed by each township use tax dollars to provide grants to local agencies that address issues such as mental illness, substance use disorders, and developmental disabilities.
“This is the most impactful thing we can do as a township to build a safety net for our community,” said Lyle Township Supervisor Diane Hewitt.
The need for that safety net is urgent, she said.
“The opioid epidemic and COVID have put a hole in our mental health system,” said Hewitt, citing data from the DuPage County Coroner’s Office showing an increase in overdoses and suicides.
Under Illinois law, 708 board taxes cannot exceed 0.15% of the property value. Schaumburg and Wheeling Townships claim it costs the typical homeowner an additional $25 a year.
Illinois has about 80 such panels, named the 708 Board after the state law that allowed their creation. Bloomingdale, Milton, and Hanover townships and McHenry County are among the locations where they are located.
Amanda Teachout, mental health board manager for Hanover Township 708, said clients include the Greater Elgin and Marklund Family Services Association, which provides residential and day services to people with disabilities at Elgin’s Wasmond Center. said.
“I always thought the 708 board was Illinois’ best-kept secret,” she said.
Their success has led to increased efforts to establish 708 committees elsewhere, said Geri Kerger, executive director of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) DuPage.
“I think word got around that it’s a very cheap way to get great things done,” she said.
With a grant from the Bloomingdale Township 708 Board, NAMI DuPage offers programs such as mental health education for high school students and an employment initiative to help people with mental illness with job coaching and resume writing. .
Hollis Gorey, vice president of program services for Arlington Heights-based Clearbrook, said the agency received 708 funding from the McHenry County Board for the Clearbrook West Community Mental Health Center and Hanover’s 708. Said it is developing a facility that the board can fund.Township.
Based in Addison, Northeast Dupage Family and Youth Services receives funding from the Bloomingdale Township 708 Board and offers programs that include working with Glendale Heights and the Bloomingdale Police Department. It incorporates therapists and police officers to serve residents with mental health problems.
Ron Melka, executive director of the Lions Township Mental Health Commission, said the 708 Commission can fill gaps where state, federal, and other sources are not providing help or not providing enough help. said.
But even with the growing public interest in mental health, a referendum on the 708 board could face opposition, said Arthur Rurigio, senior vice president of Loyola University’s College of Arts and Sciences. increase.
“I think people will complain about the cost,” said psychologist Lurigio, who has a background in community mental health.
Linda Springer, senior clinical director of behavioral health at the Kenneth Young Center in Schaumburg, said the good news is that there is less stigma around mental health issues today than there was 35 years ago. said.
Proponents argue that the annual cost to taxpayers would be minimal, equal to the cost of lunch.
Carger, who lives in Milton Township in central DuPage County, said her local 708 board recently paid $21 a year in taxes.
Milton Township’s 708 Board operates on a budget of $800,000, of which $700,000 goes to funding awards and the remainder goes to administrative expenses.
“A lot of our success depends on who serves on the 708 Mental Health Committee, which should be made up of members from different local communities.”
The Milton Board is made up of members that include attorneys, DuPage County employees, township trustees, and pastors.
Shannon Hartnett, chairman of the Milton Township 708 board, said local providers won’t be able to reach as many people if the Nov. 8 referendum fails. .
“The need for mental health services has exploded in the last few years. Every agency has a waiting list,” she said.
The Northeast DuPage Family and Youth Services listing is about two months, shorter than other agencies, Hartnett said.
“You have to hire people to meet your needs, and you need money to hire people,” she said.
