$58,000 in grants go to Hanover Twp. area mental health agencies
The Hanover Township Mental Health Board awarded $58,000 in emergency grants at its May 10 meeting.
Children's Advocacy Center's Safe from the Start program received $25,000 in emergency funding in order to maintain services and programming at full capacity. While the Children's Advocacy Center has received some money from the state through court orders, the Safe from the Start program has been primarily funded by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority and has not received any funding since July 1, 2015. SFTS is the only known local agency providing free trauma services to children birth to five years old that have experienced domestic violence.
Shelter, Inc. received $20,000 in emergency funding to support their Healthy Families program offered at St. Alexius hospital. The primary source of funding for the program is from the Illinois Department of Human Services. Shelter, Inc. also has received no funding to support this program since July 1, 2015. The Healthy Families program identifies, screens, and assesses first time, at-risk parents with a history of domestic violence or abuse. Families receive training and education support they need to protect their babies from abuse. Shelter has also raised approximately $100,000 to support the program and continue to investigate and pursue alternate funding options.
Easter Seals of DuPage and Fox Valley received a $2,000 for operations equipment. Due to the state budget impasse, program services remain the top priority and vital equipment is only purchased when special funding is available. Easter Seals also received an $11,000 challenge grant for a Nutrition Program to be offered at their Elgin facility. This unique program offers three primary nutrition services: nutrition therapy evaluations, medical nutrition therapy, and a feeding clinic. The program is based on a multi-disciplinary approach to nutrition, addressing the high-level of nutritional risk that children with developmental challenges experience. This is a very specialized service and will be implemented by a dietician that specializes in the needs of disabled children.
"Even with the board's financial assistance, these programs and services are in danger of being cut," said Linda Best, chairwoman of the Hanover Township Mental Health Board. "Most of the township's service agencies will not be able to continue to provide these services and remain open to the public without the state's assistance."
The Mental Health Board meets at 6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month, at the Township offices, 250 S. Route 59, Bartlett. Due to scheduling conflicts, the board will not meet in June and July.
The volunteer board advocates for increasing the availability and quality of mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services by allocating funds to nonprofit agencies that provide services to township residents. Last year, the board approved over one million dollars in funds to local agencies.
Hanover Township serves more than 101,000 residents in portions of the Cook County communities of Streamwood, Elgin, Bartlett, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg.
For more information about the Mental Health Board or to learn more about their funded agencies, call (630) 837-0301 or visit www.hanover-township.org/MHB.