CHS seeks more county mental health funding

April 10--BLOOMINGTON -- An increase in demand for mental health crisis and psychiatric care was cited Friday by the McLean County Center for Human Services as a need for more county tax funds.

Agency staff told the McLean County Board of Health that changes have taken place at the agency over the past year to improve mobile crisis services and provide more access to psychiatric services.

Those changes, including the doubling of crisis staff available to respond to calls, came about after concerns from the County Board and community leaders about severe deficiencies in mental health service.

CHS is asking for a total of $801,905 in mental health funds, including $357,200 for psychiatric care; $365,916 for crisis care; $28,870 for transitional housing; and $49,919 for school outreach.

Sue Pirtle, CHS clinical services director, said 1,648 calls were handled between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2014, which represents about seven months of the agency's fiscal year.

The increased staffing may not remain in place if the county does not restore a $6,000 reduction it made last year, said CHS financial officer Kathy Sallee.

"Most likely, we would cut back on the crisis service workers and then response times could be lengthened," Sallee told the board.

The issue of caring for the working poor -- people who do not qualify for Medicaid coverage -- remains a problem in McLean County. Counseling and case management services at CHS "are pretty much Medicaid-only," said Pirtle.

The health board heard a proposal from a second provider last week that could cover those missing services. Chestnut Health Systems is asking for $269,000 to serve about 200 people who lack any resources for mental health care. Many of those clients would be served through the newly opened crisis stabilization center at Chestnut.

The CHS funding application includes a $45,000 increase for psychiatric service. The hiring of two advanced practice nurses to assist center psychiatrist Dr. Gil Albilita has reduced the turn-away rate from 75 percent to 13 percent, said nursing coordinator Melinda Roth.

The center renewed its 2014 request for $28,000 to fund temporary housing for a population that has difficulty finding traditional housing. The money would be used to help 10 people whose backgrounds usually include homelessness, mental illness and criminal records.

The health board will decide in May which of the $1.9 million in funding requests it will approve for $1.1 million available through the county's current tax levy.

Follow Edith Brady-Lunny on Twitter: @pg_blunny

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