Why Vote Yes
A Happier, Healthier Palatine Township
WHY MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS
1 in 5 people experience mental illness during a given year. Palatine Township can only allocate $625,000 to ALL social services. That's only about $6 per resident. A Community Mental Health Board will allow up to $1.7 million to be be used to help people living with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and substance use disorder.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM
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Of the 708 Palatine Township residents registered for developmental disabilities services, 237 are on a waitlist.
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40% of youth in Illinois with a major depressive episode went untreated in 2024.
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In 2022, there were 587 opioid overdose deaths in Suburban Cook County.
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1 in 5 youth aged 13-18 experiences a severe mental health disorder at some point during their life.
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1 in 10 high school students in Suburban Cook County seriously contemplated suicide last year.
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The State of Illinois is ranked 35th among all states in spending on mental health and 43rd in spending for developmental disabilities.
ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH BOARDS
What's a Community Mental Health Board?
A Community Mental Health Board is primarily composed of seven to nine local Palatine Township residents who are representative of interested groups in the community (such as people with professional or lived expertise in areas related to mental health). Board members are volunteers who are appointed by the Township Supervisor. The board responsibilities include assessing community needs, allocating funding to fill gaps in services, and generally promoting public awareness.
What Does A Community Mental Health Board Mean for Me and My Family?
Having a Community Mental Health Board means greater access to mental health services, support for developmental disabilities, and expanded resources for substance use treatment. For individuals, this could mean more local mental health providers, shorter wait times, and improved crisis response. Families would benefit from increased resources for loved ones struggling with mental health challenges, expanded early intervention programs for children, and better support for seniors and veterans. Schools and workplaces could see enhanced mental health initiatives, and the community as a whole would benefit from more prevention and education efforts, reduced strain on emergency responders, and a stronger safety net for those in need. By establishing a Community Mental Health Board, Palatine Township would have a dedicated funding source to ensure essential services are available, coordinated, and accessible to all.
What does it cost?
The referendum proposes a maximum property tax rate increase of 0.04% to dedicate up to $1.7 million to provide community mental health support to people with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and substance use disorder. The average assessed value of a single-family home in Palatine Township is $350,000. That means the average single-family home would pay less than $41 per year...less than the prince of a large pizza! The average condo and multi-family home owners would pay far less.