Grundy County Health Department directs behavioral care clients to outside providers

After the Grundy County Health Department in Morris announced plans to stop providing its in-house behavioral health services beginning June 13, the transition process triggered concerns from program clients expressed at a May 21 meeting of the Grundy County Board of Health, which oversees the department.

In the ensuing weeks, Grundy County Health Department’s Public Health Administrator Tania Schwer has highlighted the ongoing efforts to provide continuity of care to clients by connecting them to a broad range of private-sector behavioral health providers.

For many years, the department provided direct behavioral health services to individuals and families seeking therapeutic care, according to a health department news release. That included serving children, adults and senior citizens.

The department’s website previously noted that it additionally provided mental health and/or substance abuse evaluations that were required by the courts, probation, Department of Children and Family Services or parole. It also offered mental health and drug court assessments and counseling services for individuals selected to participate in the two alternative courts.

The services required by those alternative courts handling mental health and drug cases now will be delivered by outside providers, said Joan Harrop, president of the board of health, at the May 21 meeting.

Part of the reason for ending the department’s in-house services was linked to the expanding availability of outside behavioral health resources across Grundy County, according to the release.

“Where once the health department was one of only two local providers — and, at one time, the only agency accepting Medicaid — residents now benefit from a growing network of professionals," the release stated, calling the health department’s cessation of services a strategic reorganization that reflects the changing dynamics of care delivery in the area.

“We are coordinating with local providers to ensure that current clients are connected with appropriate care and support,” the release stated. “The Grundy County Health Department will continue to serve as a vital public health partner — promoting mental wellness, offering referrals and collaborating with the many professionals who now serve Grundy County. We are proud of our legacy and even more proud of how far our community has come in building a strong, accessible behavioral health system."

The health department team personally has reached out to clients, distributed a letter to each of them and directly facilitated referrals for care, Schwer said on May 21.

“At this time, all associates from the Behavioral Health Division have resigned and transitioned to new opportunities outside the health department; no one was laid off,” Schwer said in a June 19 email.

Having to change providers can be difficult for vulnerable clients who had established a sense of trust while working with the department’s former therapists and behavioral health specialists.

Two clients voiced their disappointment to the board of health at the May 21 meeting. To better inform the public about why the services were eliminated, Eric Rasmusson, a Grundy County Board member who serves on the volunteer board of health, said an explanation needed to be shared about why it happened.

What helped precipitate the action was the earlier loss of most members of the department’s behavioral health care team, Harrop told him at the meeting.

“The therapists that we had here working left for better-paying jobs and the ability to work remotely,” Harrop said. “[You] cannot run a whole department without any workers … ”

To help residents who contact the Grundy County Health Department looking to secure behavioral health treatment, its website at tinyurl.com/4bznauux has been updated with information about the area’s providers, detailing what services they offer and which insurance plans they accept. The information can be found under the “behavioral health resources” tab.

Among the listed nonprofits is the Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center in Mazon. Offering mental health services for children and families, along with medication management, it accepts all insurances, including Medicaid and Medicare, with financial aid available and no one turned away.

With locations in Joliet and Orland Park, The Living Room by Trinity Services is a free, non-clinical alternative to the emergency room, promising a safe, calming environment for adults 18 and older experiencing mental health or substance use crises. Open around the clock, it provides immediate support without the need for insurance or an appointment.

The Grundy County Health Department continues to update its roster of service providers, which are categorized under community behavioral health centers and nonprofits; private behavioral health practices; and additional resources, such as NAMI Will-Grundy, part of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The health department has made the most-up-to-date resource lists available to residents, which reflects the continued commitment to connecting the community with appropriate care, Schwer said.

[Michael Urbanec contributed to this story.]