80-51 AMENDING ZONING ORDINANCE SPECIAL USE REGULATIONS RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES

Home Browse Search

page 4 - City Plan Com��ission - 3/6/80 County Community Mental Health Board. He stated they had some material to distribute for the commission to ?ook at later at their convenience. Ne went on to say that before he discussed the purpose of this petition, he thought it might be a good idea to give the history o� mental health care in the country, state, and in this community. During our history as a country, until the �iddle of this century the problem of inental health was taken out of the mainstream. During an assessment of Manpower to be used in World War II , it was found that people were being turned awa� because of psychiatric problems . This , together with having to deal with the trauma of those returning from war, raised the national consciousness toward mental health care in this country. In 1946 a National Mental Health Act was passed by Congress . Government developed a policy which created a National Organization of Mental Health. This and the introduction of anti-psychatic drugs permitted people to be served on an out-patient basis . In 1955 there was instituted a Mental Health Study Act. This led to some major policy changes in viewing mental health. It might be described as a move away from institutior.al care Lo community based care. All of the above led to the establishment of inental health centers across the country. Institutional care was reduced. This information is in the three-year plan which the Macon County Mer.tal Health 3oard has prepared. It is contained on page 15 of this document, and it gives a number of statistics . It cites how these mental health centers have grown over the years , and 'now many persons they are now serving. Aaditionally, the mavement has gone forward under the present commission on mental health, whose report is also incorporated in the information giver. the commission. Mr. Wilkerson went on to say that the number of persons served locally has increased dramatically. Also, there are a couple of cases in the courts, which have resulted in persons being taken from the large institutions and being returned to local environment . The State of Illinois now has a plan for deinstitu�ionalizing their mer.tal health system. They plan to keep placing more and more persons from institutions back ir.to a communi�y environment. Just recently, the Chicago City Council passed a zoning request similar to the one here, and Mr. Wilkerson said that the staff of the 708 Board have been workizc at this for four or five years .