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%.

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