By Adam Studzinski
BLOOMINGTON – U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) toured Chestnut Health Systems’ new 24-hour mental health crisis unit Tuesday afternoon in Bloomington.
Davis said Chestnut runs a “tremendous operation” and always seems to fill a void when one pops up.
“Obviously, here in McLean County addressing mental health issues has been on the front of the debates throughout our media and throughout our community,” said Davis. “I’m glad Chestnut has been able to step up.”
During his tour, Davis learned Chestnut’s patients can sometimes wait up to six weeks between finishing detox and getting into treatment. That’s something he called “tragic.”
“I think what we have to do is focus on what we can do to help individuals get the treatment they deserve,” Davis said.
Davis also held a roundtable to local mental health, law enforcement, and government leaders on how to improve mental health care.
“The information that I get here today is what I’m going to take back to my colleagues, especially my friend and colleague (U.S. Rep.) Tim Murphy (R-Penn.), who’s a clinical psychiatrist,” he said.
Murphy has proposed federal legislation, which Davis is supporting, called the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act. It carries a number of initiatives, including providing additional psychiatric hospital beds for those in need of short term inpatient mental health care.
Adam Studzinski can be reached at adam.studzinski@cumulus.com.
