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Cuts hitting Lake County’s mental health, substance abuse help

Lake County Health Department officials say they are concerned about continued funding reductions that have led to erosion in substance abuse and mental health programs.

An estimated $1.3 million cut in state and federal financial support announced last week would negatively affect the department and the community health center, officials said. In all, 25 employees are projected to lose their jobs as of Aug. 19.

While the health department has a $71 million annual budget, the $1.3 million reduction would be from grants linked to specific programs, officials said.

Lake County Board member Aaron Lawlor of Vernon Hills, chairman of the health and human services committee, said officials may try to convince state legislators in the fall veto session to not cut all $1.3 million.

“We’re studying the potential to get some of the cuts restored,” Lawlor said.

Health department Executive Director Irene Pierce said Monday the latest funding reductions are a continuation of what began about three years ago. She said the cuts would be particularly difficult on substance abuse and mental illness programs that are part of behavioral health services.

For example, a community support services program in Waukegan that provides help and treatment to people with mental illness would be reduced, and five staff positions eliminated. She said the potential employee loss means case managers wouldn’t see clients as often.

Pierce said the program’s goal is to keep mentally ill clients out of hospitals and in their own homes by working with them on the necessary skills for daily life.

Also affected would be a psychological rehabilitation program that serves severely mentally ill patients in Waukegan. Eight staff members would lose their jobs.

“I believe that it is very difficult right now for the chronically mentally ill to get the support they need,” Pierce said.

Elimination of a management position is expected for Lake County’s substance abuse program in Waukegan, health department officials said. Work would be distributed to more employees as a result of the planned job cut.

About 140 behavioral health services clients would be affected by the latest funding cuts, health department spokeswoman Leslie Piotrowski said. She said the division’s clinical services budget has been trimmed by $2.7 million since July 2008, which includes elimination of 42 full- and part-time positions.

“I think when you look back at our previous three years, you’ll see the mental health and substance abuse programs have had an inordinate amount of reductions,” Pierce said.

Piotrowski said the department still will handle patients at risk of suicide and hospitalization. She said employees are seeking agencies that can receive some of the department’s other behavioral services clients in late August because of the announced funding cuts.

The loss of the money also would affect a women’s residential services program in Vernon Hills that provides alcohol and drug rehabilitation, and shelter for the women and their children. A management position would be trimmed.