Who is Affected by Mental Health Issues and Causes
Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupts a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. These conditions are caused from a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Mental illness can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, race or income. Each year roughly one in four Americans will be affected by some form of mental illness, and it is the leading cause of disability. When treated, rates of recovery are high; however, fewer than half of those with diagnosed mental illnesses will seek treatment. In McLean County, an estimated 20% of the population is at risk for having a mental health episode in their lifetime. Mental health needs in McLean County are on a rise and so is the need for more psychiatrists.
Issues in the Community
Mental health issues can impact the image and reputation of our community and affects everyone. Poor community image can discourage investment. Community-wide problems left unresolved can prevent Bloomington-Normal's ability to attract the talented workforce our employers thrive upon.
With a critical shortage of psychiatrists in rural communities has left patient and hospitals without adequate resources to help those in need. Chestnut Health Services say fewer people are wanting to enter the psychiatry field because of low reimbursement rates from insurance companies are lower salaries.
The state cuts of funding has affect the mental health services. With services being cut and a trip to the emergency room can last for days as staff work to locate a bed in an out of town mental health facility if local units are full. This has caused the McLean County jail as the biggest provider of mental health services in the county. Factors that have contributed to the boost in inmates with behavioral disorders include a reduction in social services, a lack of housing options and delays in moving inmates found unfit to stand trial to state facilities. The biggest fear is that one of officers are going to get hurt, dealing with the jail being over crowded.
McLean Co. mental health system called 'ineffective'
Since mental health affects all ages, the youth of McLean County is also a concern. Approximately 50% of students age 14 and older who are living with a mental illness drop out of high school. This is the highest dropout rate of any disability group. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in youth ages 15 to 24. More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease combined. Over 90% of children and adolescents who commit suicide have a mental disorder
Solutions
There has been some actions to improve the mental health issues in McLean County. Community awareness is on the rise with partnership of services and community leaders/board of directors joining together to address issues.
A telemedicine program at Advocate Bromenn that will provide 24-hour consultation services for psychiatric care. This model will screen patients that present with targeted chronic medical conditions who may have an untreated or unidentified behavioral health diagnosis.
Recovery court is designed for adult offenders who have been convicted of non-violent offense who have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness. The purpose is decrease the number of recurrent arrest by sending offenders to treatment for the their mental health issues rather that jail.
Chestnut Health Services is opening a crisis stabilization that will ease distress for up to 14 people who need short-term care for supervised medical detoxification and residential mental health services.
Local police departments has launched a Early Notification Program to provide law enforcement officers with information prior to responding to investigations or calls involving people with disabilities to better equip them to understand and appropriately respond.
The Center for Human Services has added eight more crisis team member to help respond to people in a crisis at hospital emergency departments, the CHS downtown office, a person's home or somewhere else in public. These includes nine mobile staff, one in-house staff, one program manager, and two coordinators.
A proposed jail expansion for the McLean County Jail would include a 56-bed mental health unit in a 168- bed addition to the facility. The expansion is estimated to cost $26-49 millions.
Services
Chestnut Health Systems
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702 W. Chestnut
Bloominton, IL 61701
309-827-6026
www.chestnut.org Mission-Making a difference:Improving quality of life through excellence in service
Chestnut Health Systems is comprised of the following five core service areas:
Chemical Dependency treatment and prevention
Mental health treatment and housing for people with mental illness
Applied behavioral research, training and publications
Employee assistance and workplace services
Primary care treatment and preventative services
McLean County Center for Human Sevices
108 W. Market Bloomington, IL 61701 309-827-5351 mcchs.org
Services provided:
24-hour crisis team
Youth counseling
Adult conunseling
Recovery services
MarcFirst
1606 Hunt
Normal, IL61761
309-451-8888
Mission-To guarantee the personal dignity of people with developmental disabilities and to promote their personal achievement based on their dreams, desire and abilities.
Advocate Medical Group-Behavioral Health
Mercherle Hall
403 W. Virginia Ave 303 N. Hershey Suite D1
Normal, IL 61761 Normal, IL 61761
309-268-2910 309-268-3529
www.advocatehealth.com/bromenn/behavioralhealth
Offers professional confidential counseling for individuals, couples and families of all ages and backgrounds with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and addictions counselors.
Path
201 E. Grove #2A
Bloomington, IL 61761
309-828-1022
211 Crisis Hotline
24/7 access to information, referrals and crisis response that enables people to find the help they need
McLean County Health Department
200 W. Front
Bloomington, IL 61701
309-888-5450
Mental health services:
Adolescent substances abuse, prevention, and early intervention
Crisis intervention
Out-patient services
Support training and intervention for developmenally disabled children/adults
How you can help
Brad's Ride to Freedom
Brad Alexander suffered from substance abuse and depression and died of suicide at 35 years old in 2009. His family organized Brad's Ride to Freedom in 2011 a suicide awareness and fundraising event to support the Center for Human Services. Money raised is used for counseling services for people with chronic mental illness who have limited income so they can afford private counseling but make to much to qualify for medicaid.The main event is a motorcycle poker run with five stops in McLean and Dewitt counties. They decided on the poker run since Brad enjoyed riding motorcycles. This fundraiser is an annual event.
United Way of McLean County
201 E Grove St #100
Bloomington, IL 61701
(309) 828-7383
United Way is working to advance the common good in McLean County by creating opportunities for a better life for everyone. We are focused on creating positive community change in the areas of education, income and health. By targeting these areas, we can ensure that children achieve their academic potential, families are financially stable, and people are healthy.
Ways to contribute is by GIVING (donating money), ADVOCATE (showing support), or VOLUNTEER (supporting the community), you can learn more about how to help on the website.
