Will County OKs $10 million levy for mental health grants
The Will County Board on Thursday approved a $10 million levy for the Community Mental Health Board, which provides funding to organizations offering mental health treatment, substance use services, and support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The approved $10 million allocation marks a $2 million increase over last year’s funding but falls $2 million short of the initially requested $12 million. Teena Mackey, executive director of the Community Mental Health Board, shared that the board awarded grants to support 42 programs for the 2025–2026 cycle, which began in April.
These funds have benefited organizations such as the Heroin Epidemic Relief Organization, which addresses the opioid crisis; Steger School District 194, focusing on children’s mental well-being; and the Lincolnway Special Recreation Association, which provides a mobile sensory support bus for individuals with disabilities.
Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $200,000 and were distributed to various nonprofit organizations and governmental bodies offering qualifying services across the county. The funding aims to increase access to care and support for Will County residents.
Additionally, about $4 million was allocated to the Will County Health Department to expand behavioral health services at its Bolingbrook branch. Mackey noted plans to assist the department’s eastern branch in Monee with further behavioral health service expansions.
“We are funding programs and services that benefit Will County residents,” Mackey said.
Applications for the next grant cycle will open in January. The mental health board expects to allocate approximately $4 million to the Will County Health Department next year. Mackey emphasized that the board’s priority is to sustain current programs before allocating funds to new applicants.
“There is a larger demand for mental health funding than the dollars available,” she said, adding that less than $300,000 per year is spent on the board’s operating costs.
With reductions in federal funding, Mackey stressed that supporting regional mental health programs is more important than ever.
Will County voters approved the creation of the Community Mental Health Board through a 2022 referendum, with nearly 53% of voters in favor.
The $10 million levy approved Thursday is projected to cost the owner of a $250,000 market value home about $23.57 annually, according to the supervisor of the assessor’s office.
Christine Doran, founder and president of the HHH Ranch in Manhattan, expressed gratitude for her organization’s grant, which has allowed the horse farm to launch programs for children in foster care—initiatives the ranch has sought to develop for the past decade.
“It is important to have programs that help children in foster care so they don’t become a future statistic in the prison system,” she said. Parents have already reported positive improvements in their children.
The HHH Ranch is a nonprofit that offers therapy programs for individuals struggling with mental health issues, including those who have experienced bullying, depression, sexual assault, medical conditions, or cognitive and physical disabilities. It also runs programs for veterans and first responders.
Over the past 10 years, the ranch has served more than 5,000 families, underscoring the ongoing need for mental health support.
Doran highlighted the thoroughness of the funding process, noting that the mental health board reviews applications carefully and meets in person with funded organizations.
“They are truly making an impact that each and every one of you want for your community,” she told the Will County Board. “I invite you to come out to my ranch and see the small but very significant difference we are making in our community.”
Several board members expressed willingness to fund the mental health board at the full requested amount of $12 million, citing growing community needs.
“I’m seeing a great need in our community for so many services—from the health department to our veterans services to our sheriff’s department,” said board member Mica Freeman, a Plainfield Democrat.
The County Board’s Executive Committee receives quarterly reports from the Community Mental Health Board. County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne, a Wilmington Democrat, remarked, “We can see that folks are in more need of mental health services than ever before. This program is amazing. We funded it last year, and I think it would do the county justice to provide more funding so we can help the folks that need it.”
County Board member Raquel Mitchell, a Bolingbrook Republican and member of the Will County Board of Health, voiced cautious support for behavioral and mental health programs but suggested some initiatives might need to be delayed to conserve taxpayer money.
“I’m not saying no,” she said. “I’m just saying not right now.”
The board voted 12-10 to reduce the funding request from $12 million to $10 million. Following this decision, the board voted 21-1 to approve the Community Mental Health Board’s $10 million funding, with only Naperville Republican Julie Berkowicz dissenting.
Berkowicz raised concerns about overlapping services between the mental health board and the Will County Health Department, limited County Board oversight or input, and the fact that only one County Board member serves on the mental health board.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/18/will-county-mental-health-grants/
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