Persuasive Issue Paper

April 9th, 2015

Governor Rauner and the General Assembly,

207 State House

Springfield, IL 62706

Dear Governor Rauner and the General Assembly,

According to the World Health Organization, Mental illnesses do not discriminate – they can affect anyone: men, women and children, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. Globally 1 out of every 4 suffers from some form of mental illness. In 2010 depression ranked 2nd for global disease burden and globally, someone commits suicide every 40 seconds.

When Pat Quinn was in office he slashed the mental health budget 71% over 5 years totaling more than 113 million dollars. In reading the proposed budget by Governor Rauner, more cuts are to come. We as a state need to stick together and come up with a plan that limits the cuts to many people who need those services. Mental health services are a safety net for many people. Without those services people have no access to the type of specialized care that is needed. The state and the tax payers will see an increase in hospitalizations and increase in the crime rate. When the community based services are slashed, people with mental health issues have nowhere to turn. The lack in services for many leads to unemployment and the loss of a productive tax member of our state. Not only will the decrease in services hurt individuals, it will also hurt the state of Illinois the same. Mental health illness is classified as a disability. When people qualify for a disability, it costs the state and the country money. I am sure most people have an idea what an emergency room visit costs or an in-patient hospital stay cost compared to an out-patient visit at a clinic. But since the majority of the state’s facilities have closed, people with these types of illnesses have nowhere to turn. For many, the choice is the emergency room.

Governor Rauner and the General Assembly, I urge you to take a closer look at what it really cost the State. For every facility...