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And yet another hostage goes down

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Illinois

The primary provider of outpatient mental health services in DeWitt County will begin shutting down July 1, a casualty of the state budget impasse, the agency executive director said Monday.

The board of the DeWitt County Human Resource Center (HRC) voted to cease providing services after June 30, Executive Director Lynn Scoville said.

But HRC is working with other Central Illinois health providers to determine whether they can assume responsibility for HRC programs.

“Our goal right now is to make sure our clients are taken care of,” Scoville said. Then she paused to cry. “And to make sure they are taken care of in our community. That’s our goal.” […]

HRC serves about 500 people in DeWitt County. Services include outpatient mental health therapy and counseling, case management to assist clients to live independently, 24/7 crisis intervention for people experiencing a psychiatric emergency, psychiatric services, mental health and substance abuse early intervention and developmental training/day programming for people with developmental disabilities.

Yeah, because what we need right now are a bunch of people who can’t get crisis psychiatric services.

Sheesh.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 11:51 am

Comments

If Illinois’ voters don’t understand what human service providers have been doing with their tax dollars, they are about to find out.

Comment by Give Me A Break Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 11:57 am
Isn’t that why we pay for prisons!
(Snark obviously)

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 12:05 pm
Eliminate grants for mental health services….mental health services go away.

Comment by Cause and effect Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 12:22 pm
Did any reporter ask Rauner what programs and services are “collectivist”? I am not joking - let him define it and let him defend the choices.

Comment by Dr X Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 12:25 pm
Perhaps this has gone unnoticed but when looked at collectively,most of the mass tragedy stories (Sandy Hook, Aurora, Orlando, etc.) end with two words “mental illness.” That is not to say ALL mentally ill people are dangerous; they aren’t. But enough are that we should be willing to help them BEFORE something happens…for their sake and ours as a society. Why Rauner doesn’t get that is beyond me.

Comment by kfc Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 12:27 pm
Has Rauner taken the next step and vetoed the social-services safety-net bill he’s been sitting on for a month or more?
Man of the people…not.

Comment by IRLJ Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 12:31 pm
This is who we are losing…

http://dchrc.org/

https://www.facebook.com/DeWitt-County-Human-Resource-Center-141094302625712/

If you want to help, please do.

https://www.gofundme.com/28r74mk

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 12:35 pm
Release the hostages: Just agree to halting public union power, the source of most of our problems, and everything settles.

Comment by Driveby Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 12:36 pm
Yep, mental health support given by police is all we need. Shoot first and too bad.

Comment by RIJ Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 12:51 pm
Consequences of “pain for gain” strategy for the mentally ill and destruction of services…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09FbauO0kzs

Locally produced documentary.

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 1:03 pm
“Just agree to halting public union power, the source of most of our problems, and everything settles.”

Sometimes the need for psychiatric health services is self-evident.

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 1:03 pm
The video mentioned in this news piece can be found on youtube. There is a shorter version there as well.

http://dewittdailynews.com/local-news/235686

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 1:06 pm
And when these former patients walk into a grocery store to get something to eat they become criminals, and then new wards of the state. That’s a great savings….

Comment by jerry Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 1:40 pm
Then she paused to cry…

Only liberals cry.
Libertarians RULE, right?

I really want to punch the heavy bag right now.

OK, if you delete this, Rich.

Comment by James Knell Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 2:06 pm
I have started to wonder who gets the money owed to these social service agencies when they close. What is the mechanism for paying a company that has been closed?

Comment by Huh? Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 2:52 pm
Huh?- I think that is one of the “savings” mechanism Rauner and Co. are “bankin’” on.

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 3:00 pm
From the Dewitt Daily News story: “With the closure, the Human Resource Center will lose their license. Scoville says there’s a short time HRC could be saved, but once certain things fall into place as they begin to prepare for the end of the organization, the likelihood the organization could reopen becomes less and less.” Ugh.

Comment by X-prof Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 4:16 pm
Simply heart-breaking. This agency is probably small enough that this is a good outcome of Senator Radogno’s shakeout. This is why I favor a full budget that leaves no hostages behind, rather than piecemeal. Other agencies like this would likely be left out of a stopgap I fear. If you think I’m wrong about that, please don’t think it’s because I have cruel intentions in mind.

My other point is that local providers like these stretch state dollars far more than large corporations ever could, whatever fictional efficiencies they could offer.

Comment by Earnest Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 4:39 pm
Bruce Rauner, you own this.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 7:38 pm
Hear directly from Lynn in this interview-

http://dewittdailynews.com/local-news/259890

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, Jun 21, 16 @ 9:27 pm