Daily Herald Article

Lake County United hosted a virtual tour of the new Lake Behavioral Hospital in Waukegan.

On June 8, 2020 Lake Behavioral Hospital opened in Waukegan with 146 beds.

A team of leaders met with Governor Pritzker on crisis stabilization units and housing.

By: Richard Townsell, Aliya Husain, Kelly Collins and Rabbi Ari Margolis

For lack of better alternatives, write the authors, police often detain and jail people suffering a mental health crisis. As an alternative to beds in jails, as seen in this photograph, Illinois should create crisis stabilization centers, which are like emergency rooms for the mentally ill.

In his first few weeks as governor, J.B. Pritzker will have to take a swing at a lot of tough pitches, but one important issue looks to us like an easy fastball over the middle of the plate.

Yesterday a Metro IAF ally, Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon and State Rep. Ann Moeller of Elgin helped broker a meeting with Governor Pritzker and IL Metro IAF organizations.

Illinois Metro IAF team members were:

    Rabbi Ari Margolis, Congregation Or Shalom, Lake County United,
    Yvonne Smith, St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Evanston, United Power for Action and Justice,
    Rev. Mike Solberg, Union Church, DuPage United and
    Adrienne McCauley, Lead Organizer, Fox River Valley Initiative

As of July 1, our region is within reach of a pragmatic solution to a major social problem -- the overuse of emergency rooms as the default destination of those with mental illness who are apprehended by police but should not be incarcerated.

Written by Yvonne Smith, United Power for Action and Justice,  and Shakeel Syed, Lake County United, guest columnists to the Daily Herald.