Representatives of the county’s 708 mental‑health board told a county committee the board awards grants that fill gaps in state and federal funding and that growing Medicaid coverage losses may increase demand for locally funded services.

Betsy Scott and Carol Wolfood, members of the 708 board, described agencies the board currently funds — SAFE (a sexual assault and family emergency agency), Heartland Human Services (which accepts Medicaid/Medicare and works with the sheriff’s office on mental‑health cases), One Hope United’s CIVIS youth program, New Light Counseling and Griffin Therapeutic Solutions. They said Heartland and similarly situated agencies cannot refuse clients and that client losses of Medicaid could raise local costs and use of 708 funds.

Scott said the board also received new requests this year from the Epilepsy Foundation of Southern Illinois (serving 32 people locally while the county has 411 residents with epilepsy) and from Calming the Cortex Counseling, a newer agency. The 708 board asked the committee to consider these requests as it allocates funds.

Committee members noted the county will receive opioid‑settlement monies and suggested agencies working on substance‑use and mental‑health services might be candidates for settlement funds. The chair said settlement funds could be considered for related programs in addition to 708 allocations.

Representatives emphasized the preventive value of community‑based mental‑health services, saying early intervention can reduce criminal‑justice costs. The 708 representatives thanked the committee for past support and requested continued funding consideration.