Family Services in McHenry closing this month

Mental health providers in McHenry County are working to figure out how to absorb patients served by the Family Service & Community Mental Health Center after uncertainty over state funding will cause the 53-year-old agency to shut its doors at the end of the month.

Family Service, based in McHenry, will close June 30 after an agreement with North Central Behavior Health Systems recently fell through, said Lori Nelson, executive director of the Family Service Division of North Central Behavioral Health Systems. Nelson served as Family Service's CEO until North Central, based in LaSalle, took over May 1.

The agreement was contingent upon Family Service's ability to sustain its operations, said Sandy Lewis, executive director of the McHenry Mental Health Board.

However, the state's department of mental health couldn't confirm that it would deliver about $800,000 in psychiatric treatment funding and about $280,000 in substance abuse treatment funding, Nelson said. State mental health funding has been cut over the past few years in response to the state's budget crisis.

Family Service, which employs 57 people, has an annual budget of about $5 million and has operated in the red for several years, Nelson said.

“All of our hopes were for this not to happen, obviously, but unfortunately it did, despite everyone's incredible efforts,” she said.

Donald Miskowiec, president and CEO of North Central LaSalle, did not respond to requests for comment Friday.

Family Service serves about 6,000 clients a year, with 2,500 to 2,800 active clients coming through the doors in an average month, officials said.

Of those, about 2,000 will need to be transferred to new service providers, although the majority are served by Medicaid, Lewis said. The Mental Health Board accounts for about half of Family Service's annual funding.

“The impact to our community is significant. There is no one agency that has all the licenses needed or the services needed to provide all the services (to Family Service clients),” Lewis said.

Mental health agencies throughout the county that took part in a meeting last week responded with eagerness, she said.” What I have been struck with is really the strength of this community. Many private practice groups and other organizations have come to the table offering assistance either on a short-term or long-term basis,” Lewis said.

The state budget crisis will continue affecting mental health providers, Nelson said.

“I wish I could say there isn't going to be much more of this happening, but there is.” she said.