Human Resources Center says wait list eliminated but warns of major funding shortfalls

The Human Resources Center (HRC) told the Edgar County Board in December that it has eliminated its wait list for mental health and addiction treatment services but faces significant funding shortfalls that could reduce services if not addressed.

HRC Executive Director Jonathan reported to the board that the center received roughly $524,000 in property-tax support from Edgar County in the last year and that the local 708 funding stream remains essential to sustaining services. “Without that, these services would not exist,” Jonathan said.

The report said the center has ended the large wait list that existed a few years ago and has tightened compliance policies for its addiction-treatment clientele. Jonathan described a new enforcement policy that includes a 90-day ban for clients who repeatedly fail to attend scheduled treatment; he said the change reduced no‑shows but also resulted in fewer people served in the addiction program and, in some cases, probation violations when clients lacked appointments to show compliance.

Jonathan told the board the organization is projecting material revenue gaps from billed services and private pay: about $298,000 short for mental-health services, $295,000 short for addiction treatment and $184,000 short for intellectual and developmental disability (rehab) services. He said those figures represent underpayment relative to service costs and affect HRC operations across two counties.

The presentation highlighted program successes alongside the shortfalls. HRC’s IPS employment program — which helps people with serious mental illness find and keep work — reported a top fidelity score nationally and expanded capacity during the year. The HRC-operated drop-in center (the LRP) served 247 people as of December 2023, and crisis screenings increased by 136 despite shifts in referral patterns.

Jonathan also reported a grant award: the Wheeler Foundation provided up to $65,000 to buy a new Ford Transit passenger van. He said the grant allowed HRC to place an order for the vehicle.

On staffing, Jonathan informed the board he intends to leave the executive director role in October 2025; he said the position will be posted in January.

Board members asked about recent changes in how jail crisis calls are handled. Jonathan said HRC no longer provides the jail mobile-crisis response because it cannot obtain reimbursement for that service; instead, LifeLinks (the state contractor based in Mattoon) now handles those calls under a 988/mobile-crisis contract. Jonathan and board members expressed concern about response times and continuity: several board members said LifeLinks can take hours or up to 48 hours to respond to jail or emergency-room requests, while HRC typically responded within about an hour when it provided the service. Jonathan said the county and HRC should meet with LifeLinks and review Medicaid reimbursement rules to explore options.

Jonathan noted recent additions to the HRC board, including Cindy Spencer, and thanked the County Board for ongoing property-tax support. He repeated that the local 708 funding is intended to fill gaps left by insurers and other payors and that, without it, multiple services would be at risk.

The board did not take formal action on the HRC report during the meeting; the item was presented for information and discussion.