Mayors to assist mental health reform

Feb. 19--BLOOMINGTON -- When the McLean County Board issues its final plan to fix deficits in community mental health care, the city of Bloomington and town of Normal will join the effort.

Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner and Normal Mayor Chris Koos said the county's work to improve services and living conditions for mentally ill residents has their full support.

Both mayors acknowledged that their attendance at county advisory panel meetings was sparse last year, but briefings with county officials has kept them abreast of the work by the groups made up of county officials, community leaders and healthcare providers.

"The city has to be more than interested in finding a solution to the mental health problem. We have to be committed," said Renner.

The Bloomington mayor said he hears from city police officers on a regular basis about their ongoing interaction with mentally ill people, many of whom are taken to jail for conduct related to their illness.

"We will have to find a way to roll up our sleeves and make something happen. It has to be one of our community priorities," said Renner.

Koos said he sees the town's current role as being an advocate for the reform effort. The Normal mayor said he will help promote federal assistance for local mental health programs when he joins Renner and other in March on the One Voice lobbying trip to Washington, D.C. sponsored by the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council.

The county took the lead on the initiative sparked by a recognition in 2012 by former Sheriff Mike Emery that the jail is the county's largest provider of mental health services. Currently, five committees are meeting to develop a proposal for the County Board on a wide range of mental health issues.

On Wednesday, the committee working on crisis services reviewed potential solutions for helping people who may end up in emergency rooms or jail.

Committee Chairman John McIntyre told the group that the work of putting the proposed improvements in place begins in several months when a final proposal goes to the County Board.

"The County Board needs to unveil an overall mental health plan and provide some push and direction for it. It also has to include the jail," said McIntyre, who is County Board vice chairman.

McIntyre said a new mental health advisory panel appointed by the McLean County Board of Health will likely be the mechanism for seeing that improvements are made. The health board oversees county tax funds for services for residents with mental illness and developmental disabilities.

Follow Edith Brady-Lunny on Twitter: @pg_blunny

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