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BRIEF: County delays hiring mental health coordinator

Pantagraph - 7/18/2017

July 18--BLOOMINGTON -- McLean County will go without a mental health coordinator for at least another month after board members on Tuesday asked for more discussion of how the position is funded.

The county's Behavioral Health Coordinating Council, a group of experts appointed by the board to make recommendations about mental health programs and spending, endorsed the position last month, to be paid from a pool of money specifically intended for mental health services.

A group of County Board members, however, requested time to consider funding the role from a pool of money once intended for small business loans that's currently unused. A board subcommittee is currently discussing how to use that money.

The position, to include grant writing, could fund itself through awards.

"Any delay is another day that we've lost, another day somebody in this community is suffering that we could have changed it," said board member Erik Rankin, who opposed the delay.

"We have a duty here too, and that's to make sure we efficiently spend taxpayer money," replied Chuck Erickson.

This story will be updated.

Follow Derek Beigh on Twitter: @pg_beigh

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