Schaumburg Township Mental Health Board pens letter to residents
The following is a letter from the Schaumburg Township Mental Health Board to township residents:
Schaumburg Township Residents,
In November 2022, a bipartisan majority of over 56% of our township citizens voted to form a Community Mental Health Board (MHB). The township supervisor appointed seven members and the board’s kickoff was in February 2023. Under guidance of state legislation (405 ILCS 20), MHBs can grant funding to organizations providing services to clients in three categories: developmental disabilities, mental health, and substance use disorders. These clients are your family members and neighbors. They are all residents of the township, and many could be denied care due to lack of sufficient insurance, inability to pay, or a shortage of available services.
The MHB is funded by a small property tax levy. For the median priced home in our township this is approximately $30 per year. A little money from a large group goes a long way and we would like to share the good ways it is being put to work. Beginning March 2025, the MHB will fund 31 programs under 23 agencies. Some are familiar names like GiGi’s Playhouse, Kenneth Young Center, Clearbrook, NW Center Against Sexual Assault, Sanjeevani4U and Little City. The MHB is also launching new initiatives to facilitate collaboration across agencies so that unmet needs are efficiently recognized and addressed. All our funded agencies provide critical services that thousands of township residents access on a yearly basis.
Through a community needs assessment, we found that transportation, finances, language and cultural stigma are major barriers to accessing care. In collaboration with the township, we are working on a pilot program for ride share transportation to appointments and employment for our neighbors with developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs. Several of our grant recipients are now staffing multilingual clinicians and intake personnel. We have reached out to various cultural groups to share available mental health resources. Mental health issues are universal. Almost every family will at some time find care necessary.
Your Schaumburg Township MHB is a nonpartisan organization with no political affiliation. In its brief existence, the MHB has been a beacon of collaborative spirit and should continue to flourish regardless of election outcomes. The board members are volunteers serving four-year rotating terms. Application for board membership is available on the MHB page of the township website or by emailing info@tosmhb.org. Mental health professionals and laypersons that are residents of Schaumburg Township are welcome to apply.
Bob Ogilvie — MHB President
Lauren Saternus — MHB Trustee Member