Progress Illinois

Since late January, Chicago officials have been playing dodgeball with ongoing questions regarding the proposed closure of four South Side mental health clinics.  When news of the closings first surfaced, Mayor Daley blamed the state for cutting the city's mental health funding by $1.3 million.  When we asked at the time how these particular centers were chosen, Health Department spokesman Tim Hadac told us that they were housed in aging facilities and therefore too expensive to maintain.

It later came to light, however, that billing mistakes by the city had caused the state to cut the funding.  Moreover, contrary to Hadac's explanation for why these clinics were selected, advocates tell us that two of sites -- in the Morgan Park and Woodlawn neighborhoods -- were recently rehabbed.

The city has also contended that these clinics aren't absolutely necessary because, as Hadac told us, patients can visit one of the eight other sites. But by our calculation, an appointment at another clinic could mean a two-hour bus ride for some -- hardly a viable option.

AFSCME Council 31 spokesman Anders Lindall points out that a permanent funding solution isn't needed to keep these clinics open.   Rather, they need assistance over the next 18 months.  This is the amount of time until the city's dysfunctional billing system is back ont rack and the state funding returns to its previous level.  So what ideas are out there to cover the next year-and-a-half?

Some have proposed tapping into the $1 billion in federal stimulus funds headed for Chicago.  But at a City Council hearing on Thursday, stimulus czar Pat Hardey told the assembled aldermen that federal guidelines prevent the city from using stimulus dollars on the facilities.   According to Hardey, this is because the clinics are city-run (as compared to the privately-run "delegate" agencies contracted to carry out the public health services on behalf of the city).

We thought the city’s Health Department owed the public a more complete explanation on the stimulus rationale, particularly considering that earlier this month it seemed like a viable option. We called Hadic on Friday, who pledged to look into it.  We’re still waiting on a call back.

Granted, determining eligibility is complicated by the fact that many of the rules on the use of stimulus funds are still being drafted. But some have pointed to possible work-arounds.  For instance, the mayor's stimulus wishlist includes $9.8 million worth of money intended to “engage” the mentally ill. Those funds are bound by the rules of the Community Service Block Grant Act, which means that the two delegate agencies doing mental health work for the city may be eligible for assistance.  Matt Ginsberg-Jaeckle of Southside Together Organizing for Power, a coalition of community groups aiming to keep the centers open, thinks that the mayor’s office -- known for it’s creative financing -- could find a way to shuffle the budget to free up funding for the four city-run facilities.

And what if the stimulus funds are really off-limits? In that case, Ginsberg-Jaeckle suggests that City Hall could use some of the $100 million worth of "human infrastructure" funds set aside as part of the $1.5 billion parking meter lease. 

All of these options seem feasible.   And considering that Illinois' mental health system recently received a "D" from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the need to settle on one is urgent.