What’s Increasingly on the Mind of Illinois Residents? Health Care, Economy, Bankruptcy–Suicide

(Chicago, IL) – Illinois residents are increasingly thinking about health care, the economy, bankruptcy, and, more grimly, suicide. In fact, in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, among those topics, suicide is the number one subject on their mind.

Google Search Trends in Illinois (last 12 months): Suicide (light blue), Suicide Bombing (green), Health Care (red) Economy (blue), Bankruptcy (gold)--November 25, 2008

According to a Google Trends term search, today, November 25, the search terms “suicide”, “economy”, “bankruptcy”, and “health care” coming from Illinois residents over the last 12 months began escalating in August 2008 (see chart, right). During November, “bankruptcy” and “suicide” have followed the same upward trajectory.

Google Trends uses IP address information from its server logs to make a best guess about where queries originated.

To avoid potentially confusing overlap, the term “suicide bombing” was searched to control for interest in and news media reporting on international terrorist incidents. The search results for this term among Illinois residents was negligible.

Alarmingly, between November 20 and November 23, Illinois searches of “economy”, “health care” and “bankruptcy” dropped, but “suicide” spiked (see chart).

Google Search Trends in Illinois (last 30 days): Suicide (light blue), Suicide Bombing (green), Health Care (red) Economy (blue), Bankruptcy (gold)--November 25, 2008

What are the top 10 Illinois communities searching for the term “suicide” according to Google Trends?

1. Evanston
2. Urbana
3. West Chicago
4. Champaign
5. Naperville
6. Moline
7. Springfield
8. Elmhurst
9. Chicago
10. Peoria

The Google Trends charts also reflect news media references (bottom of chart) to the terms being searched. In the case of the “economy”, the upward trend line of news media references to the economy track the online search of the “economy”. In the case of “suicide”, news media references are scarce, but Illinois search interest in “bankruptcy” and “suicide” rival “economy” search interest. Little news, but a lot of interest.

Illinois residents appear to be signaling their anxiety. But is anyone listening?

Fortunately, Governor Rod Blagojevich recently boosted behavioral health care funding. Blagojevich signed legislation on November 20 to restore $8 million to the state’s mental health care budget and $55 million to the substance abuse treatment budget which were cut earlier this year.

However, in the days and months to come, Illinois officials should be looking not only at economic data to address the crisis in Illinois, they should also pay be paying attention to what’s on the mind of Illinois residents, too.

Blagojevich Restores Funding for Substance Abuse Treatment, State Parks, RTA, Others Services; Vetoes $55 Million

(Chicago, IL) – Nearly two months after the Illinois legislature approved the money, Governor Rod Blagojevich today finally acted on the supplemental budget bill SB 1103 to restore $175.9 million in funding for several reductions made earlier this year to the Illinois budget. He vetoed $55 million.

With the Governor’s action, funding will be available for substance abuse treatment centers, Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) frontline staff, the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) reduced fare subsidy and other core services.

Those core services include:

• Addiction treatment services were restored by $55,144,500.
• Mental Health funds were restored by $8,851,200. Included in this amount was $4,285,000 for Supportive MI Housing.
• Developmental Disabilities funds were restored by $1,094,800.  In addition, $28,100,000 was restored to prevent rate reductions in ICF’s for MR programs, rate and service reductions in fee-for-service programs, and funding cuts in grant funded programs.
• Under Community Health funds, Domestic Violence Shelters and Services Programs were restored by $236,600 and Teen Parent Services $143,300.

In September, the General Assembly passed SB 790 to transfer funds, as well as the supplemental appropriations bill to appropriate $230.9 million in spending. In October, Governor Blagojevich signed the Senate Bill 790.

Blagojevich claims certain federal funds designated in SB 790 are restricted and the federal government warned that a failure to restore them would put future federal funding in jeopardy.  So the Governor vetoed  $55 million from the bill, including money to operate state historic sites. Say good-night, Abe.

IL House Votes to Restore $55 Million to Drug Treatment

(Springfield, IL) – The Illinois House today voted unanimously to restore $55 million to the state’s alcohol and drug treatment budget which had been originally vetoed by Governor Rod Blagojevich.

The House voted 113-0 to restore the $55 million to state substance abuse treatment funding and to halt the elimination of care for 42,000 across Illinois as part of $219 million supplement budget bill (SB 1103) to restore other state programs and services also vetoed by the Governor.

The bill was sponsored by State Rep. Gary Hannig (D-Litchfield).

The state Senate is also expected to approve the money. That’s today’s expecation at least.

Tomorrow is another day.

Senate President Emil Jones Denies Special Session Comments Made on Cliff Kelly’s WVON Radio Show

(Chicago, IL) — WVON radio host Cliff Kelly featured Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago) yesterday to discuss his impending retirement, but Kelly deviated and reportedly said “Earlier today Senators [Mattie] Hunter and [Willie] Delgado held a press conference; Senator what is your position on [Governor Rod Blagojevich's] slashing funds [$55 million] from [alcohol and drug] treatment?”

Senator Jones reportedly replied “As you are aware, I am a big supporter of treatment”. He added, “The Senate okayed the bill. We are going to call a special session and get this taken care of …”

Capitol Fax’s Rich Miller reports that Senator Jones’ spokesperson issued a “flat, complete denial” of Jones’ comments regarding a special session. The spokesperson insists, per Miller, that Jones only said “the senate passed the revenue and the house needs to follow suit.”

The WVON listeners will decide.

New Illinois Budget Boosts Human Services with Bits of Unfunded Kibble

(Springfield, IL) — Despite the fact that Illinois General Assembly approved a new state budget with a projected $2.1 billion deficit, it still managed the head-scratching feat to underfund human services, like foster care, mental health care, drug treatment, etc.

• The state’s 7,500 foster parents had asked the legislature to help them offset galloping food and energy prices with a $24 million grant. Lawmakers ok’d $5 million. That’s about $9.75 per child per week. A couple gallons of milk. Whoopee.

• The Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association begged for $41 million for the financially-starved alcohol and drug abuse treatment system which currently has 7,500 people on waiting lists. The legislature approved $3 million.

• Mental health advocates sought $42 million to expand care to nearly 17,000 people. Legislators provided $2 million.

How can the Illinois General Assembly simultaneously overspend and and underfund in the same budget? It takes a special kind of talent.

Now human service providers are nervously wondering if Gov. Rod Blagojevich will veto these bits of unfunded kibble.

Can Illinois’ dysfunctional politics morph into anything more surreal than this?

Number of Illinois Residents Waiting in 2008 for Alcohol, Drug Abuse Treatment Jumps 17%, New U of I Report Says

(Springfield, IL) – The estimated number of Illinois residents waiting for alcohol and drug abuse assessment and treatment at state-financed facilities in 2008 rose 17 percent in, according to a report released at a press conference in Springfield on May 1.

The report by the Survey Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago surveyed 106 Illinois community treatment providers in December 2007 and revealed 7,541 people were waiting for some form of treatment, up from 6,467 in March 2007.

“Substance abuse treatment works best when an individual is ready,” said Sara Moscato Howe, right, CEO of the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association. “Turning people away at the door is unacceptable and only leads to crises for the person and the community.”

Moscato Howe said the state must invest $41 million this year to provide care to the growing number of untreated Illinois residents, to decrease wait times, and to provide relief to community service providers burdened by escalating expenses.

State Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston), left, is backing Moscato Howe’s call for additional money. Schoenberg is sponsoring legislation, S.B. 2886, to boost funding by $41 million in this year’s budget.

“Illinois is losing the battle against drug and alcohol abuse by failing to care for those who need treatment,” said Schoenberg. “We must stop the growing number of people forced on to waiting lists. We must be able to provide services for those who need help by adequately funding substance abuse treatment and prevention.”

Across the state, northern Illinois has the most people, 2,168, waiting for care. The fewest, 830, is in southern Illinois. The report also estimated that 595 youth are waiting for treatment. Central Illinois has the most youth waiting for treatment with 182 on waiting lists.

On May 2, Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced that the Illinois Department of Human Services and Prevention First, unveiled new public service announcements alerting parents and young people to the dangers of illegal and prescription drug abuse. How nice. Now show us the money.

The funding legislation’s fate is uncertain.