Community Mental Health Project

10/21/2026

Attention Wheeling Township residents with professional or personal expertise in mental health, developmental disabilities, and/or substance use disorder!

One of your neighbors posted in Community Corner. Click through to read what they have to say. (The views expressed in this post are the author’s own.) | Link in comments ⬇️

10/21/2026

For years, investigations at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center, a state-run institution in Anna, Illinois, have documented abuse, neglect, and cover-ups. Illinois is now moving to close Choate’s general units serving people with developmental disabilities.

We support this decision. People with developmental disabilities deserve safe homes, meaningful choices, and the opportunity to live in their communities with the support they need.

Illinois must follow through with well-funded community services, qualified staff, strong oversight, and transition plans shaped by each person’s needs and preferences. Moving residents to another institution cannot be the default.

This opinion piece by Samantha Alloway explains why this decision matters, and why getting the next steps right is essential.

The move away from state-operated developmental centers allows disabled people to have greater say in the lives they lead.

10/20/2026

When a mental health crisis can’t wait, care shouldn’t either.

Rep. Anna Moeller helped pass the Healthcare Protection Act, including protections against insurance preapproval barriers for inpatient mental health care. We endorse her for Illinois House District 43 because she has taken on the obstacles between patients and treatment. Putting patients first should mean changing the rules that stand in their way.

Explore our Voter Guide + Mental Health Scorecard at cmhproject.org.

10/20/2026

“Mental health treatment shouldn’t take you hours away from your loved ones.” — Sen. Adriane Johnson

We agree. The Community Mental Health Project endorses Sen. Adriane Johnson for Illinois Senate District 30. Her leadership on Illinois–Wisconsin inpatient treatment legislation reflects a priority we share: helping eligible patients receive care closer to home, without putting unnecessary distance between them and the people who support them.

Explore our Voter Guide + Mental Health Scorecard at cmhproject.org.

10/20/2026

Recruiting more mental health professionals is only half the job. Keeping them matters, too.

We endorse Sen. Julie Morrison for Illinois Senate District 29 because her workforce plan addresses both. She supports help with education and clinical training alongside better reimbursement and manageable caseloads. We value that attention to what it takes to build a sustainable career providing care, and not simply enter the field.

Explore our Voter Guide + Mental Health Scorecard at cmhproject.org.

10/20/2026

Local mental health care needs a strong voice in Springfield.

We endorse Rep. Daniel Didech for Illinois House District 59 for his advocacy for community mental health boards and his commitment to evidence-based treatment and harm reduction. We value leaders who support local investment in care and judge policy by whether it helps people rather than the stigma surrounding the help they need.

Explore our Voter Guide + Mental Health Scorecard at cmhproject.org.

10/19/2026

“The words we use matter.” — Rep. Justin Cochran

Respect belongs in public policy. We endorse Rep. Justin Cochran for Illinois House District 55 for an approach that starts with dignity and inclusion. His work with disability advocates helped advance a law replacing outdated labels with person-first language. People are more than labels, and our laws should reflect that. That's how we start to break the stigma.

Explore our Voter Guide + Mental Health Scorecard at cmhproject.org.

10/19/2026

“We cannot build a strong behavioral health system on short-term or unreliable funding.” — Rep. Maura Hirschauer

Promises of better care need resources behind them. We endorse Rep. Maura Hirschauer for Illinois House District 49 because she tackles the funding decisions behind accessible services. Her commitment to sustainable, progressive revenue would support long-term investments in community care, school-based services, and crisis response—not another temporary fix.

Explore our Voter Guide + Mental Health Scorecard at cmhproject.org.

10/19/2026

Health coverage shouldn’t be lost to paperwork.

Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl called for outreach to “ensure no one loses coverage over reenrollment or paperwork challenges.” We endorse her for Illinois House District 57 because she focuses on the practical barriers between people and treatment including insurance participation, provider reimbursement, and maintaining coverage. Access has to work in everyday life, not just on paper.

Explore our Voter Guide + Mental Health Scorecard at cmhproject.org.

10/14/2026

“I have not treated behavioral health as a stand-alone issue to be visited during Mental Health Awareness Month.” — Rep. Mary Beth Canty

That’s the year-round commitment we expect. The Community Mental Health Project endorses Rep. Mary Beth Canty for Illinois House District 54. She recognizes that mental health belongs in budget decisions, insurance oversight, school funding, and crisis response—not in a separate conversation that happens once a year.

Explore our Voter Guide + Mental Health Scorecard at cmhproject.org.