By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – McLean County has issued a report outlining the county’s mental health needs.

The 91-page action plan sites significant gaps and delays in service delivery, a lack of communications between agencies and a lack of mental health practitioners in the community. County Board member John McIntrye who chaired the county’s needs assessment committee said the county’s first objective is to create a Behavioral Health Coordinating Council.

“That really focuses on mental health, behavioral health as it’s referred to, and can provide the necessary advice made up of people who are directly involved with these services though the community,” McIntyre said.

McIntyre said parts of the plans are being implemented already, but there’s no timetable for eliminating all shortfalls. The report calls for more mental health training, roundtable discussions with health care providers and appoint a mental health advisory committee to assist the county’s Board of health.

County Board member Erik Rankin told the county should seize this opportunity and turn this into an asset.

“This could be a large economic driver for not just McLean County but Central Illinois to put McLean County on the map as far as the model for mental health and Illinois and maybe regionally,” Rankin said.

The report, which was 15 months in the making, was presented to the County Board on Tuesday. It will be reviewed by several county committees over the coming months.

The County Board also approved paying for a peer review of two proposals to address a lack of McLean County Jail housing for mentally ill and female inmates. Farnsworth Group is getting close to $30,000 to study the proposals from Dewberry Architects and Mark Goldman and Associates and will report back to the county within 60 days.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].