Leaders look for mental health answers in wake of Rockford violence
Two devastating attacks in the span of a few days left five residents dead, seven badly injured and plenty of questions about whether there are adequate mental health care services in the Rockford area.
UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital operates the area's only psychiatric hospital since Mercyhealth closed its Rockton Avenue psychiatric ward in 2020, and local officials say Illinois never lived up to its promise to provide more community-based programs after closing Singer Mental Health Center in 2012.
Employees of the state-run psychiatric facility on Rockford's northside fought hard against Singer's closure, often times pointing to the impact a decision like that would have — from the immediate financial burden of caring for people in psychiatric crisis to the fears of not having enough services for people in need without the facility's 75+ in-patient beds.
But bringing back a place like Singer isn't today's answer, said State Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford. Today's solution is much more complex.
What's needed, West said, is a much more modern approach with a mental health emergency room specifically designed to soothe people experiencing a crisis. It should be a place that puts medical, social services, counseling and other resources under one roof.
"We need to start looking at what that looks like, especially with us having a mental health tax," West said. "We have revenue going toward mental health services. What does it look like for us to make sure that this never happens again?"
Lack of health care providers
Timothy Carter, 28, of Cabery, Illinois, is accused in the March 24 slaying of Jason Jenkins, an 18-year-old Rockford student who was working at the Northridge Drive Walmart about 6 p.m. when he was stabbed in the back. Carter had sought mental health care in the hours before the killing.
A few days later, authorities accuse Christian I. Soto, 22, of Rockford, in a killing spree that left four people dead including a 15-year-old girl and seven wounded. Soto shouted at the judge and family members of the victims during a court appearance following his arrest.
It is unknown how or if additional mental health services could have averted these incidents, but it's a topic that's going to get much more discussion and debate in the months to come.
Nancy Chamberlain, a spokeswoman for Rosecrance Behavioral Health, said the mental health organization is always on the lookout for new ways to serve the region's needs. But staffing will remain a challenge until a pipeline of mental health professionals is filled.
"Unfortunately, in Rockford and throughout the nation, there exists a dramatic deficit in the ability to recruit and retain qualified behavioral health providers," Chamberlain said in an email to Rockford Register Star. "There simply aren’t enough psychiatrists and clinicians to fill open positions. Any plan for new services should include the continued investment in current and future behavioral health clinicians."
'First thing on every agenda'
Kevin Thomas, a licensed professional counselor and host of the MENtality Unchained podcast, said he envisions mental health emergency room that provides both triage and support services and perhaps inpatient services where someone in crisis can be treated and stabilized even if it takes a couple weeks.
"People don't want to hear that we're not meeting the mark when it comes to mental health here in Rockford," Thomas said. "We all we want to say that we're doing all these things. But to be honest with you, I don't understand how we the people of Rockford, the leaders of Rockford, how this is not the first thing on every agenda. What can we do for our community by way of mental health?"
Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara says it could be time to consider a mental health equivalent to Rockford's Family Peace Center, which serves as a hub for law enforcement, counseling, legal assistance and case management services combating domestic violence.
"There's an incredible shortage of providers for mental health services," McNamara said. "That is a significant need not just in Rockford, but across our state. We need to really focus on creating a pipeline and making it advantageous for individuals to enter the field and stay in the field. And there needs to be a more coordinated response, especially when it comes to access to mental health services."
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached at (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Provider shortage a detriment to Rockford's mental health landscape
