August 11, 2016
Lake County Leaders Announce Initiative to Address Mental
Health Crisis
Lake County, along with our nation and
local communities, is facing a mental health crisis that affects the
individual, families, friends, neighbors, veterans, employers, schools,
hospitals, the criminal justice system, and more.
To address this growing problem and
strengthen mental health services across the county, Lake County Board Chairman
Aaron Lawlor and the Honorable Susan Garrett (former IL State Senator, 29th
District) will lead a new community-wide initiative focusing on data-sharing
and evidence-based practices to identify gaps and recommend a sustainable
continuum of care for this vulnerable population.
Lawlor said, “Lake County and our country
are facing a growing and pervasive mental health crisis. These individuals are
too often ending up in emergency rooms, in jail, or homeless on our streets,
and none of these are good options. We believe that through this collaborative
effort, community partners can work together, leverage resources, and maximize
our impact.”
The Lake County Mental Health Coalition
will convene in 2016 and include a diverse group of stakeholders representing
hospitals, the health department, supportive housing, veterans, homeless
assistance, law enforcement and others. Lawlor and Garrett will serve as
co-chairs and they are currently working to identify and recruit stakeholders
to actively participate.
“There are many strong programs and
providers in Lake County that are currently serving this population, but there
are tremendous opportunities to enhance services and treat mental illness
before it results in tragic situations, including unemployment, homelessness,
poverty, and suicide,” Garrett said.
The identified outcomes of the Lake
County Mental Health Coalition include:
- Identify
and collect data on local mental health, including current services/programs,
demand/need for services, and identify what additional information is needed
- Research
best practices and evaluate them for their applicability in Lake County
- Develop
a framework and systems to share data
- Use
data to identify needs and gaps in service and then prioritize that list
- Recommend
the best methods of building capacity, addressing gaps, and enhancing services
National and local mental health related
statistics:
- One in five adults in the U.S.
experience a mental illness every year (Behavioral Health Trends in the
U.S. National Survey).
- Serious mental illness costs the
U.S. $193 billion in lost earnings every year.
- Almost 60% of adults with a mental
illness didn’t receive mental health services in the previous year
(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
- The U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs estimates that, across the country, 18 veterans die each day from
suicide.
- 4.6 million adult hospital visits
for acute mental illness occurred in the U.S. in 2010 with an average seven days length of stay (National Health Interview Survey).
- 17% of adults living in five Lake
County communities (representing about half of our entire population)
reported incidents of mental illness in that year (2014 Behavioral Health
Service Area Study focusing on Northern Lake County).
- Lake County currently has 59
psychiatric beds and less than 100 psychiatrists to serve those with
serious mental health needs.
###
Contact: Jennie Vana Email: jvana@lakecountyil.gov Phone Number: 847-377-2154
|