New Study Ranks Illinois 51st in U.S. for Developmental Disabilities Funding; NAMI Grades Illinois “F” for Mental Health Service Access
(Springfield, IL) — From the It-Can’t-Get-Worse-Than-This-Department, a new report–2008 State of the States in Developmental Disabilities–ranks Illinois 51st in the United States in funding for community residential DD services. 51st.
Illinois ranked behind the District of Columbia.
In addition, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) has once again given Illinois an ‘F’ for its lack of funding to ensure access to community MH services. Another feather in our battered health care cap.
At a Springfield press conference on April 30, Janet Stover, Executive Director of the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities said, “An investment of $300-$400 million is projected for community DD and MH services to begin to address the needs in the community system and to help Illinois move away from its 51st and failing status nationally.”
According to the University of Illinois Rate Study, commissioned by the General Assembly, the community services system is underfunded by as much as 25%. Meanwhile. a report commissioned by the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities, says the DD system needs at least $200 - $250 million to bring Illinois to mid-point among investments by states nationally.
Interestingly enough, the Illinois Division of Mental Health has just launched a new public education campaign–Say it out loud–on the virtue of good mental health. You wanna bet a lint-covered gum ball this information is nowhere to be found in the campaign’s new Web site?
All this Illinois Democrat power control loving and this state is close to bankruptcy plus the 17th district in Illinois where I live has been on poverty watch for sometime and yet people get excited about a Democrat as President of this country with a Democrat controlled Senate and a Democrat Controlled house?
I do not think so. The facts are nearly all politicians are shady to some degree and money looters. The higher the office the increased chance of dishonesty. And when you let one party control all the major legislative bodies you get uncontrolled corruption.
I am not surprised at Illinois’ ranking, especially with 12.5 million people who want nothing to do with us disabled citizens, critical lack of friendliness towards all but the richest and strongest, and pride in corruption. Illinois is sinking like the Titanic!!!
Also, I actually find Illinois to be very deceitful and even downright predatory to people with disabilities. On the outside, Illinois appears very clean and full of architecture, everyone claims to be nice, the state also claims to have the best quality services in the whole wide world. But once the wait list is over, you people with disabilities and special needs are slammed with arguments, isolation, hostility, disruption of medicaid, and nightmares so terrible you do not even want to imagine them! Also, you’d find that fitting yourself into society is about like fitting Godzilla into a bath tub.