Will County Health Department Executive Director Susan Olenek testified last week in support of Illinois House bill 4955 during an Illinois House appropriations public hearing.
One of three legislative packages considered at the April 27 hearing in Chicago, House bill 4955 appropriates nearly $87 million to the Illinois Department of Human Services. For Will County, the proposed legislation could provide necessary funds to restore program cuts and staff layoffs announced April 21.
The Will County Board of Health moved to mitigate most of a $2.121 million current revenue shortfall by approving 53 staff layoffs and the suspension of nine health department programs during a regularly scheduled monthly business meeting. The layoffs and program suspensions are effective May 27.
The nine programs impacted include five in the agency’s Division of Behavioral Health and four in the Division of Family Health Services. Cuts are estimated to impact more than 52,000 agency clients, including 39,000 served by a school vision and hearing program, 1,800 behavioral health clients and about 4,000 clients who utilize HIV prevention and education services.
“The Will County Health Department is just one public health agency in the grand scheme of things,” said Olenek, a 27-year Health Department veteran who became executive director in February. “The lack of a state budget has created monumental problems impacting every corner of the state and virtually everyone living here. For Will County, the budget impasse means thousands of people going without critical family health and behavioral health services.”
Will County Behavioral Health programs suspended include: adult psychiatric services, capitated care, crisis response, juvenile justice and psychiatric medications. Impacted Family Health services include: HIV prevention, family case management, vision and hearing, and tobacco control and prevention.
Six of the nine programs could receive some funding if House Bill 4955 is adopted, according to the Will County Health Department.