Grundy County board hears coroner report showing suicides doubled and discusses expanding behavioral-health response

A coroner's report that suicides and related deaths rose from eight to 16 last year prompted members of the Grundy County board to call for expanded local behavioral-health resources and better follow-up for people who refuse hospital care.

The discussion, raised during the coroner's report, centered on whether recent changes — including the county health department's behavioral-health division closure in May and subsequent transfers of services to private providers — have worsened access. A board member warned the number “doubling” is “terrible,” and urged the county to “rethink how we need to get doctors and whatever in here to help these people.”

Board members and officials cited specific figures and local steps. One speaker said the county’s behavioral-health unit previously saw about 63 patients before the closure and that private organizations including North Central and Crossroads picked up those clients. Another board member said the county currently has partnerships with 17 organizations and that the challenge is often that people who need help are unwilling to seek it despite awareness efforts.

The coroner, responding to a question about whether drug-legalization trends explain the increase, said suicides cited in the report were not limited to overdoses and included deaths by firearms, knives and trains. The coroner said he did not have precise overdose counts at the podium but acknowledged the county has secured more resources while suggesting the county consider additional in‑house capacity that had been discussed earlier in 2025.

Members noted concrete local initiatives under way: the city of Morris recently contracted with Crossroads and Angie Solis’s group is piloting a modified crisis-response line; board members said they will meet with Solis next week to discuss countywide cooperation. Yorkville Police Department and other local partners have also discussed programs that pair social services with patrols to improve follow-up after emergency calls.

The board did not adopt a formal policy during the meeting, but members said they are moving toward allocating opioid‑settlement funds and developing a coordinated plan with local partners. The next step is follow-up meetings with providers, including a planned meeting with Angie Solis and continued work by local committees to outline specific uses of settlement funds and follow-up protocols.

The board then moved to other agenda items; there was no vote directly establishing new county behavioral-health facilities at this session.