We can build a mental health system we can all count on

For most of us in Sangamon County, gaps in mental health services are felt in deeply personal ways. A recent survey of every census tract in our community found that four in 10 of our neighbors have had an unmet mental health need in the last three years. While a decade of assessments has warned us of this growing gap, we already see the truth in our own homes and neighborhoods. Our children, families and neighbors deserve more than another study; they deserve access to care the moment they need it.

We have a strong health care foundation to build on, but the unfortunate reality is that funding from government grants, insurance, Medicare and Medicaid is inadequate to fund the cohesive system of mental health services our community needs. Our providers are working as hard as they can, but the system is underfunded, fragmented and difficult to navigate. This means we, the people we love and our neighbors suffer through unmet needs when better care should be available.

When mental health needs go unmet, our entire community pays the price. We see clear signs of this:

• In our schools: Teachers are forced to act as counselors for children facing trauma.

• In our hospitals: Emergency rooms are crowded with patients who could be better served in specialized care.

• In our justice system: In 2024, Springfield police flagged nearly 1,500 calls as mental health incidents. The Sangamon County Jail recently reported that seven in 10 people in custody had a diagnosed mental illness – far above national jail benchmarks of 44%.

• In our neighborhoods: 83% of local social service providers say our current care is simply inadequate, with 65% saying they encounter gaps frequently.

These instances are real factors impacting our community’s health and wellbeing.

Within our efforts to address homelessness, we walk alongside people each day who are in need of services that are either non-existent or virtually impossible to access. We once had programs like Assertive Community Treatment designed to focus on the holistic needs of people with severe mental illness – from psychiatric care to housing case management. As grants and funding shifted, the program ended over a decade ago. The need, however, did not go away. Studies and local experience show that people dealing with severe mental illness are more likely to be unable to access shelter and are frequently engaged through emergency rooms and the justice system. Our street outreach staff, shelters, day services and housing programs are doing everything they can to provide access to care while working closely with emergency rooms, law enforcement, public works and local businesses. These efforts are time-intensive and costly; they are a reaction to a crisis that should be solved by more appropriate services like those delivered through Assertive Community Treatment.

As taxpayers and residents, we are paying for mental health services (or the lack thereof) already. The problem is that instead of paying for effective treatment, we are paying for our county jail to be the largest mental health facility in the community, our law enforcement officers to be front-line providers, and our emergency rooms to be the center of mental health care. Not only are these reactions more expensive than effective evidence-based services, they are not effective in improving our community’s mental health. Research has demonstrated repeatedly that investments in solutions to mental health needs lead to positive returns.

On March 17 (or today, if you choose to vote early), we can take our community’s mental health into our own hands. Our Sangamon County Board representatives – both Republicans and Democrats – voted unanimously to bring the Proposition to Fund a Mental Health Board before voters. If approved, it would authorize Sangamon County to impose a 1/2 percent sales tax to pay for increased mental health services. For every $100 spent on non-exempt items, 50 cents would go toward services.

Approving this referendum would generate over $14 million each year to be allocated by a local Mental Health Board for use within Sangamon County. The change from our pockets will change the lives of our neighbors. This funding has the potential to drastically improve, and even save, the lives of people we know and love.

I hope you will join me in thinking carefully about this community need and cast your vote on or by March 17. You can learn more by reviewing the Sangamon County Mental Health Commission report and the Massey Commission’s Mental Health Services and Emergency Response Workgroup Final Report.

Josh Sabo is executive director of Heartland HOUSED, which serves as the backbone organization tasked with developing strategy, supporting implementation activities and facilitating the collaborative work of the Heartland Continuum of Care with the purpose of effectively addressing homelessness in Sangamon County.

This article appears in February 26 – March 4, 2026.