Thank You, Winnebago County Voters!

You extended the half-cent sales tax for mental health through June 30, 2031.
The next referendum is likely November 2030.

It's Working

From the most recent Impact Report (Program Year 2023–24):

24,261 residents served by funded programs

12,722 adults with serious mental illness

5,910 children and young adults (ages 3–21) with serious emotional disturbance

2,384 people treated for substance use disorders

44 programs funded across Winnebago County

$16.4 million invested in services in one program year

Current performance data is published by the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board at Region 1 Planning Council:

Impact Report (PY3) FY2025 Annual Report Live Data Dashboard Funded Programs

The Community Support System: Our Foundation

The cornerstone of this progress is the Community Support System (CSS) Framework — a research-based model, long held as the national standard, that defines the full array of services people with serious mental illness need to live and recover in their community. It relies on local data and local input.

Adherence to this framework is what ensures continuity: it shields the work from distraction and mission creep, protects it from arbitrary political agendas, and keeps the governing board faithful to the ideal the voters endorsed.

Community Support System Framework: a circular diagram with the Individual at the center, surrounded by Case Management, then the service categories — Crisis Response Services, Health and Dental Care, Housing, Income Support, Peer Support, Family and Community Support, Rehabilitation Services, Protection and Advocacy, Identification and Outreach, and Treatment — all within an outer ring labeled Coordinating Group: Promotion and Awareness of Mental Health.

CSS Priority Areas Targeted for Funding

Through analysis of local data and public input, the Board identified six priority areas for funding within the CSS:

Client Identification and Outreach
Mental Health Treatment

Crisis Response Services
Housing

Family and Community Support
Case Management

Services Funded

Mental Health Treatment

Diagnostic Evaluation
Counseling
Medication Management
Substance Abuse Services

Housing

Supportive Housing
Residential Assistance
Homeless and Mentally Ill

Critical Response

Crisis Telephone
Walk-in Crisis
Crisis Outreach
Crisis Residential

Family Support and Rehabilitation

Assistance to Families
Social Rehabilitation
Vocational Rehabilitation
Case Management

The Board

The Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board was established in 2020 by an overwhelming majority of voters and is an appointed group of community leaders who are passionate about mental health and substance abuse. The Board is evidence-based, process-oriented, outcome-informed, always urgent, and focused on excellence for everyone and everywhere.

Meetings are open to the public: the first Wednesday of each month, 2:00 PM. Details are on the Board meetings page.