By Madeleine Willis

When Rhonda Showers needed to support her loved ones, she found it challenging to find services in Kankakee County, where the ratio for mental health providers to residents is 1 to 660. 

“That’s like going to the grocery store, filling your cart with things you need, and then there are 660 people in line for the same one checkout. How long would you stay in line and let your food thaw? You would leave; you would give up,” Showers said.   

Families in Kankakee County, who are making attempts to access services, are being greeted with huge wait lists, and this is the reason for the proposed $0.25 increase in retail sales tax. Retail goods can be categorized under the following items, clothing, eating out at a restaurant, electronics, etc. 

“So, it would not be on basic needs, such as groceries, medicine, registered vehicles like cars, motorcycles, things like that,” Showers said.  

Rentals and hotel stays would not be taxed. 

The retail sales tax increase will be on the general ballot that will be voted on April 4. The mental health sales tax referendum will be the only county-wide initiative on the general ballot. 

The mental health sales tax referendum is led by the Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley, who has been exploring this idea since 2018. Although it was not until 2019 when efforts truly started. 

In 2019, the foundation discovered the Illinois State Legislature made the option to propose a sales tax as opposed to a property tax. 

Brandon Myers, of the Samuel R. Myers Foundation for Suicide and Mental Health Awareness, said Project SUN was the catalyst for the referendum. Showers serves as the Family Liaison at Project SUN, which is an initiative working towards helping children flourish. Project SUN is a grant recipient of the Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley. 

“By raising funds here locally, you will be able to get grants to organizations of different providers to increase resources to help people in need,” Myers said. 

Myers said the biggest issue is the lack of resources within the county.

“I think mental health is treatable, as long as we as a community come together to provide the resources needed to combat mental health issues. It’s all about community support, because everybody is affected by mental health one way or another. Coming together as a community, we can help provide assistance needed to help those in need,” he said.

Showers said the money will go towards mental health initiatives in Kankakee County. 

If the tax increase passes, a seven-member mental health board will be created. Showers noted this board will not be a department of government that needs to be staffed. 

“They evaluate the local system of care we have – what’s going well, what services are available, and what’s not available? What should be? How easy is it for folks to access services?” she said.

Showers said this initiative has proved to be successful in Winnebago County. 

“I mean, a lot of other communities and Illinois counties and townships have this in place already,” Showers continued. 

For more information visit https://www.cfkrv.org/ or follow the Kankakee County for Mental Health on Facebook.  Showers encourages everyone to get informed on the issue; for questions contact Nicole Smolkovich. 

“We don’t have a mental health crisis, we have a mental health disaster,” Showers emphasized.