Urge lawmakers to reinstate funding
An alcohol or drug addiction can have a devastating impact on an individual's life. It can negatively affect that person's work, family, friends, and community. The solution is treatment. For many years, the Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center has provided a broad continuum of addiction treatment services ranging from inpatient detoxification and rehabilitation services to individual, group and family counseling. Each time one of its patients has overcome an addiction, the entire Lake County community has benefited.
That is why we are so concerned about the recent state grant reductions. A reduction of almost $900,000 from the Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (DASA) has forced the Department to reduce access to several drug and alcoholism treatment services. These reductions significantly impact 400 prospective clients in our Addictions Treatment Program, Women's Residential Services, Mentally Ill Substance Abusers Case Management (MISA) and the youth counseling component of our Substance Abuse Program. We will be turning more individuals away, and those on existing waiting lists will need to wait longer for treatment.
What do these budget cuts mean to the Lake County community? They mean more people in our community who are at an increased risk for unintentional injuries, violence and risky sexual behavior as a result of their ongoing addictions. They mean more youth destined to enter the juvenile justice system. They mean more challenges for families, society and the criminal justice system.
We are stunned that the state has chosen to make massive reductions specifically in alcoholism and drug treatment. We strongly urge Lake County residents to contact their state legislators. The Health Department will continue to serve the community as best it can and fight to reinstate these much needed funds. Residents can help our case by letting state legislators know that they fully support efforts to reinstate funding for these essential programs.
Irene Pierce
Executive Director
Lake County Health Department
Community Health Center
Waukegan, Illinois
Michael Waxman
President
Lake County Board of Health