NAMI McHenry County buys Crystal Lake permanent home; local providers update board during public comment
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Summary
During public comment at the McHenry County Mental Health Board meeting, NAMI McHenry County announced purchase of a permanent home in Crystal Lake; Clearbrook described an accessible group home and funding challenges; Independence Health requested a COLA for its access grant; and several other providers thanked the board or described programs.
Abby Nicholas, executive director of NAMI McHenry County, told the board the organization purchased a permanent home in Crystal Lake "a week and a half ago" and will move out of its current space at the mental health board offices in January after renovations are completed. "We're really excited," Nicholas said, and she thanked the board for two decades of support that helped NAMI grow staff and programs.
Emily Fensell, vice president at Clearbrook, said the agency purchased an accessible group home in Woodstock built in collaboration with the District 200 building trades program. The home will serve four young men and is intended to allow residents to age in place. Fensell also said Clearbrook is working to secure funding for 13 people attending a choice program and that five additional individuals are on a wait list for services.
Independence Health and Therapy executive director John Buckley used public comment to press the board to consider a cost-of-living adjustment for the agency's access grant to cover rising costs for psychiatrists and support staff. "Our expenses continue to rise, and quite honestly, it outpaces the COLAs," Buckley said, asking the board to apply the same 6% COLA that staff recommended for position grants.
Eliza Janice, an MSW intern with Options & Advocacy for McHenry County, described her internship experience and said she is preparing to take on her first client, praising the program's staff and partner organizations. Rob Buettert, founder and executive director of WARP Corp., thanked the board for ongoing funding and support and noted his organization has sought funding for two years.
The board did not act on operational items mentioned in public comment during the public-comment period; several of the agencies and issues speakers raised appeared later on the agenda during the funding plan discussion and vote.
The board acknowledged the remarks and proceeded to the funding agenda, where some requests and issues raised in public comment were considered as part of the funding votes.
