Commission Recommends a 708 Mental Health Board

Following months of careful study, community engagement and analysis, the Sangamon County Mental Health Commission unveiled its final report, urging the establishment of a countywide 708 Mental Health Board to coordinate and enhance mental-health and substance-use services across the region. The report was presented at the Sangamon County Board meeting on November 10, 2025, and if approved, a binding referendum would send the question of formation and funding of the mental-health board to voters in March 2026.

In its survey of local residents and professionals, the commission found that four in ten residents reported having had an unmet mental-health need during the past three years, while 89 percent of respondents expressed support for increased county funding for mental-health services and 83 percent favored mental-health professionals responding alongside law-enforcement during crisis incidents. Among professionals surveyed, only 17 percent believed that current services were sufficient, with nearly 70 percent citing difficulties in linking clients to proper care.

The commission has outlined five priority investment areas for the proposed board: crisis co-response teams pairing clinicians with law-enforcement; intensive psychiatric case management for individuals with serious mental illness; housing-case management to help secure and maintain stable shelter; representative-payee services for vulnerable clients relying on benefits; and culturally responsive, community-based programs delivered via schools, churches and neighborhood organizations.

“Over the course of this year, it became clear that Sangamon County’s greatest health challenges are not about lack of caring — they’re about lack of coordination and consistent funding,” said Mike Murphy, chair of the commission. He added that establishing a 708 Mental Health Board would allow local dollars to remain within the county and ease pressures on jails and emergency departments. Less than 10 percent of Illinois communities remain without such a board.

Echoing that view, Dr. Kari Wolf, a commission member and chair of psychiatry at SIU Medicine, said: “This is the first community I’ve lived in that there wasn’t a community-based, financially supported solution for the mental-health challenges facing the county.” She noted that mental illness is the leading cause of disability in the United States and Canada, touching every aspect of community life: relationships, schooling, employment and health.

The proposal calls for placing a referendum on the March 17, 2026 ballot seeking approval of a 0.50 percent increase in the countywide sales tax, which would generate approximately $14.7 million annually — exclusively dedicated to local mental-health services. Under the proposal, a typical $10 purchase would cost five cents more, with exemptions applying to groceries, medicine and other state-exempt items.

Pam Neuman, a farmer and commission member, emphasized both rural and urban areas share similar challenges around access to care and stigma. “We believe if the county board moves forward, we could save lives and improve the quality of life in Sangamon County,” she said.

As part of the presentation, the Commission premiered a short video highlighting the community impact of the proposed initiative, featuring local providers, residents, and Commission members sharing personal stories and perspectives. The video can be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/TOCm78RU5sI.