Kane County committee funds Collaborative Diversion case manager and real-time data system

The Kane County Ad Hoc Opioid Settlement Fund Committee on April 17 approved funding from opioid-settlement proceeds for a Collaborative Diversion Program case manager position and a related software subscription to improve real-time coordination among partner agencies.

Tony Reggano, representing Collaborative Diversion, said the initiative provides field-based case management for people with mental-health or substance-use challenges and that expansion is needed now that the City of Aurora has joined the program. "Collaborative is something that's very important to the community," he said, adding that the program addresses people who are "prone to committing crimes or committing low-level crimes due to mental health and substance use issues or resource-based because they're unhoused."

Michelle Hazma, identified as director of the court deferred prosecution program in the State's Attorney's Office and a member of Collaborative Diversion's advisory team, said the program has housed six chronically homeless people in the last six months and that case managers handle high-acuity caseloads. "These are the types of case loads where they can only handle about 20 to 25 clients because of their acuity levels and we're already at 77 with just the three case managers we currently have," she said, arguing that an additional case manager and a data system will stabilize operations and improve outcomes.

Patrick Keane, who described himself as the program’s operations and data lead, urged the committee to invest in a data operating system to allow on-time communication among the health department, sheriff's office, coroners and local police departments.

Committee members praised the program’s preventive focus and voted to approve the funding by roll call. The motion did not specify a dollar amount in the public discussion; staff said they are seeking sustained funding and will continue to pursue grants and partnerships.