 |
|
The Importance of Mental Health Funding
Greetings!
The State of Illinois begins its new fiscal year on July 1, 2013 and things are looking a little better for mental health funding. The Illinois House just approved a bill that will expand Medicaid eligibility to more than 300,000 uninsured Illinoisans, while the Illinois Senate passed a FY14 Health and Human Services budget that had far fewer cuts than those of us working in behavioral healthcare were braced for. On March 6, Governor Quinn delivered his FY 2014 budget address stating, "In fact, mental health care for all who need it is a top priority. So, our budget includes an additional $25 million investment to improve mental health in Illinois."
All of these proposed budget elements are good news for the mental health community, but the ever-shifting winds of government-funding make it important for community-based behavioral health organizations like Trilogy to continue diversifying our funding and to be advocates for mental health. One of the keystones to our funding resiliency is the support of private foundations such as The Helen Brach Foundation and the Polk Bros Foundation. With the continued support of Helen Brach, we have been able to expand our Latino Services Program in a neighborhood where more than a quarter of the population is Hispanic. Funding from the Polk Bros Foundation has allowed us to provide immediate crisis services to mental health consumers who are not yet receiving Medicaid. Having private foundations support our mission is one of the principal reasons we've been able to remain hopeful as the state budget has been cut in the past and why we remain hopeful for the future. Without their generous support, many of the vital services we offer our clients and the community would be severely diminished or eliminated altogether.
Over the next fiscal year, Trilogy will continue to look beyond the state for funding opportunities that can help us in our continued effort to offer top-notch services to the people who need them most. We will also continue to rally together with other mental health advocates to make the need for accessible mental health services heard by state legislators. It is our hope that you will rally together with us and help us make sure that underserved populations are able to receive the help and support they need.
Sincerely,
John Mayes
President and CEO
|
|
Trilogy Gears Up For Summer
 Trilogy's annual Beautification Day is one of many team events we host which are meant to engage people in a fun and meaningful way with the community. It is important for anyone in recovery to feel that their life hasn't ended just because he or she was diagnosed with a mental illness. Beautification Day fosters a sense of independence and encourages mental health consumers to regain control of their lives through participation in activities and hobbies they find worthwhile. It also gives mental health consumers and Trilogy employees an opportunity to get outside and enjoy working side-by-side. Thanks to this year's group of volunteer gardeners who came out to exercise their green thumbs, our grounds are ready to bloom for summer. It was a great experience for everyone who participated and we can't wait to watch our gardens grow.
|
|
Trilogy Hosts Together4Health Meeting
This week, Trilogy hosted representatives from more than 30 member healthcare organizations of Together4Health to discuss updates to and plans for the implementation of the State of Illinois' expansion of coordinated care for Medicaid clients.
Trilogy is a partner in Together4Health, one of six for-profit healthcare networks throughout Illinois selected to initially launch the state's 2011 Medicaid reform law. Lead by our partner, Heartland Health Outreach, Together4Health will coordinate care among a spectrum of providers, from primary care physicians and hospitals, to dentists and behavioral health professionals. It will offer an integrated, holistic approach to healthcare that promotes physical, mental, and social well-being, while improving access to care for adults in hard to reach Cook County populations, including the homeless. The goal of these healthcare networks is to improve patient health and their experience of care, while also reducing the cost of healthcare through fewer unnecessary, costly visits to hospitals and by reducing the duplicate services some people are currently receiving.
The contract from the State that allows Together4Health to begin enrolling Medicaid consumers is slated for July 1,2013 and enrollment should begin in September 2013. Together4Health hopes to immediately enroll 500 individuals, with a goal of serving between 5,000 and 10,000 adults by the end of 2016.
|
|
|
|
|
Supported Employment--A Community Effort
When businesses hire a client who participates in our Supported Employment program, they become an integral part of the recovery process. Our business partnerships are one of many reasons Supported Employment is a tool that really works for those recovering from mental illness. Our Supported Employment program assists anyone interested in entering or re-entering the workforce and gives them an opportunity to "own" the job seeking process, while improving their life and recovery.
Our Employment Services employees have worked hard to form great partnerships with many businesses who realize how significant having a job is for every person in the community. Working with area employers who support our mission gives every one of our more than 650 clients a chance at steady employment, like Todd, whose personal story of employment is up on our blog.
 | | Todd and friend |
We'd like to thank the following corporations and area businesses for their continued support.
- TJ Maxx
- Home Depot
- Dandy Dollar
- The Marriott
- Scrub, Inc.
- Broadway at Chicago Theatre
- ABM Industries
|
|
First Annual Passport to Wellness Fair
On June 13th, Trilogy and our healthcare partners will be coming together to host the first annual Passport to Wellness Fair! Open to all Trilogy clients and Beacon consumers, the Passport to Wellness Fair is going to be a fun, educational, campus-wide event. Chicago House will be on-site offering free rapid-HIV testing and Rush University's College of Nursing will offer free blood pressure screenings, BMI testing, and information about healthy eating. All attendees will have an opportunity to receive free haircuts, listen to educational lectures focused on individual health, and partake in several other free wellness services in one central location. The day is going to wrap up with a community-wide walk down to the beautiful lakefront of Lake Michigan and back to Trilogy.
We have made many positive changes during the past year--from becoming a Smoke-Free Campus, implementing Healthy Vending options, and integrating Trauma-Informed Care--that focus on fostering overall wellness for each person who works and receives services at Trilogy. The Passport to Wellness Fair is just one more way we offer our clients an opportunity to learn more about their own mental and physical health so that they may make healthy choices.
|
|
