After voters approve a property tax for the new mental health program, publicly subsidized counseling, treatment, and medical care will be readily available in select Chicago suburbs.

Mental health boards were approved by referendum Tuesday in the townships of Schaumburg, Wheeling and Vernon, three townships in DuPage County, and Will County as a whole. Voters narrowly rejected the proposal in Winfield Township.

The measure calls for the establishment of a mental health board appointed by the county or township supervisor. The board typically conducts needs assessments and sets budgets and taxation. Proceeds go to grants to service providers for mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse.

According to tax-rates.com, state law allows tax rates of up to 0.15% of the equal value, but the commission usually sets rates lower than Illinois’ overall county property tax average rate of 1.73. We have a low tax rate.

Vernon Township, for example, costs the average homeowner about $49 and raises about $1.5 million a year, while the rate was set by referendum at a maximum of 0.037%. Will County capped her tax rate at 0.05%.

Upon approval by the township or county board, the mental health board distributes the money as grants to service providers for domestic violence, alcoholism, autism, behavioral and emotional problems.

The Illinois Association of Community Mental Health Agencies calculates that there are dozens of local mental health boards across the state that collectively raise more than $74 million annually. Cook County has at least eight townships, the City of Evanston has such a program, Kane County has nine townships, and Kendall and McHenry Counties have countywide programs. be.

Rory Greinawai, who handed out leaflets supporting the bill in Arlington Heights, said taxpayers were already paying for mental health services in places like Cook County Jail when mental health services reached a crisis. Sheriff Dart, the state’s largest provider of mental health care, says about 2,000 inmates suffer from serious mental illness.

Advocates believe mental health programs save money in the long run by helping people stabilize, get jobs, and stay out of trouble.

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Grainawai said one young man with special education was exempt from his disability pension, is now working and is considering buying his first home.

“We all know people who are affected[by mental health issues]and how difficult it is to get services,” says Grainawi. “People recognize the need and there is goodness in people’s hearts.”

The anti-tax group did not question the need, but questioned why the funding would not come from existing state resources. Bryce Hill said one reason is that state budgets are increasingly directed toward underfunded pensions rather than services.

“With state services locked out, local governments rely on property taxes to fund stuff like this,” he said.

But one of the benefits of local programs is local management, with services tailored to meet the needs of residents, including families affected by the behavior of loved ones.

Waiting months for a psychiatrist is a drop-in service for people with anxiety and depression who need to talk to someone before they have a crisis, said Jeri Kelger, executive director of DuPage’s National Psychiatric Alliance. said that it can provide

“A lot of people have worked to make this happen,” she said. “Because they understand the value of these services.”