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Residents and advocates urge county to reappoint local CMH board members
Summary
Multiple residents and Community Mental Health officials urged St. Clair County commissioners to retain long-serving Community Mental Health board members, citing lived experience, training and continuity of service.
Several residents and CMH leaders urged St. Clair County commissioners to retain members of the St. Clair County Community Mental Health (CMH) board during public comment at a county committee meeting.
Julie McCoy, who identified herself as a friend and fellow advocate, opened public comments by saying she was “here to support Rosella Mirabeau reappointment to Saint Clair County Community Mental Health Board.” McCoy described Mirabelli’s “excellent record of service” and said Mirabelli’s firsthand knowledge caring for a family member with a developmental disability makes her “an effective board member.”
Rosella Mirabelli spoke next and outlined more than 20 years of involvement with CMH, including time on the recipients’ rights advisory committee and as an at‑large CMH board member. Mirabelli described services her family used—respite, case management, counseling, psychiatric care and medication review—and said those experiences inform her board service.
Nancy Thompson, identified as the chair of the CMH board, urged commissioners to consider the board’s training and institutional knowledge, saying members have attended board trainings and serve on finance and advisory committees. Thompson said losing experienced members at a “crucial time” would hurt the board’s ability to navigate Medicaid and mental health code requirements.
Vicki Blackburn and other speakers also spoke in support of retaining long‑term members, asking commissioners to visit CMH facilities and consider recommendations from the CMH executive director.
No formal appointment votes or motions on reappointments were recorded in the transcript of the committee meetings reviewed; the comments were part of the public comment period.
