Mental Health Cuts are Unacceptable - Please Take Action!

The movement to save mental health services in Illinois is growing. Wednesday, April 11, more than 700 people rallied at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago to make sure that funding for mental health services is retained in Illinois. Hundreds of signatures have been collected on NAMI’s petition in support of maintaining community mental health funding.

The proposed cuts for mental health services are unacceptable.  Illinois Governor Pat Quinn proposes to cut $54 million in much-needed mental health services.

What is at stake? Well, for example, consider the plight of a person with severe mental illness who suddenly does not have a safe place to stay. Housing and other services for that person - and thousands of others -- would clearly be threatened if these proposed cuts become a reality.

Proposed cuts need to be restored so that mental health service providers can continue to provide comprehensive housing, psychiatric and crisis intervention services. Proposed cuts would compromise access to critical services for a highly vulnerable population.We are talking about comprehensive and cost-effective community-based services that are essential for a consumer of mental health services' recovery.

Community-based care for even the most complex mental health needs costs several times less than putting people in a hospital, an institution or a jail. It's also considerably more effective. The State of Illinois must do the right thing: retain resources for services that are making a difference in the lives of thousands of persons with mental illness and their families.

What can you do?  Contact your state senator and state representative today. Insist that mental health funding should not be cut and should at least be continued at current levels.

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