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Rosecrans says half‑cent sales tax has expanded mental‑health and detox access for Winnebago County residents
Summary
Joan Lodge of Rosecrans told the Winnebago County Board that funding from the half‑cent sales tax since March 2020 has supported services that have served 8,306 people, shortened wait times for psychiatric evaluation and created priority detox access for low‑income county residents.
Joan Lodge, director of grant management for Rosecrans, briefed the Winnebago County Board on April 10 about local programs funded by the half‑cent sales tax voters approved in March 2020 and the measurable outcomes those programs have produced.
Lodge said the half‑cent tax revenue has been used to build behavioral‑health infrastructure and to coordinate services across providers, reducing barriers and stigma. “This initiative reflects a strong commitment to clinical best practices, as well as public education efforts to raise awareness about mental health and substance use issues,” she said.
Rosecrans, using the tax proceeds and related funding, has served 8,306 individuals across the lifespan for mental‑health and substance‑use treatment, Lodge reported. She said the program has reduced the wait time for an initial psychiatric evaluation by 47 percent to an average of less than 30 days and that client satisfaction for services in the system of care is 98 percent.
Lodge said the program produced measurable improvements for clients: a 70 percent improvement in educational goals, an 82 percent improvement in housing stability and an 82 percent improvement in depression symptoms among those served (figures provided by Rosecrans). In program year 2024, Rosecrans established priority access for low‑income Winnebago County residents to withdrawal management and detox at the Rosecrans Harrison campus; in 15 months that priority access was used by 950 low‑income county residents, Lodge said. She reported a 90 percent improvement in depression symptoms for that subset and a 95 percent client satisfaction rating for the detox pathway.
Lodge thanked the board for dedicating the half‑cent sales tax revenue and said the funding has enabled cross‑sector collaboration and improved care coordination. The presentation was a briefing to the board; no board action was taken at the April 10 meeting.
The director’s remarks were delivered during the public‑comment portion of the meeting and the figures she presented were Rosecrans’ program statistics provided to the board for review.
