A community group in Bloomington-Normal is seeking public input as it looks for ways to reduce barriers to recovery services for people struggling with substance abuse and mental health disorders.
Recovery Oriented System of Care [ROSC] is a statewide group with a McLean County branch led by community health specialist for recovery supports Cat Hays.
Last year, McLean County ROSC started an annual survey that looks for gaps in local programs.
“This is helping us with our needs assessment related to looking at, what are the gaps and barriers within McLean County?” Hays said. “We're looking at not just for people who are in recovery, but also people who are seeking to initiate recovery. We're wanting to figure out where we can best support our community members.”
This year's community needs assessment looks similar to last year; it is roughly 17 questions long and asks whether people agree or disagree with certain statements.
In 2024, 43.8% of respondents disagreed that "people in our community know where to go for help related to mental health." Less than 25% of those who took the survey agreed.
An equal number of people [42.2%] agreed and disagreed that "it is difficult to find mental health and substance abuse treatment in my community." The remaining 15.6% were neutral.
Hays told WGLT one of the biggest barriers for people to initiate treatment is the stigma that can surround it.
“It's keeping people from having better health outcomes and quality of life. And ultimately, for me, reducing stigma is not just like it's a nice thing ... we're trying to save lives for people who are either dealing with possibly overdosing or are feeling suicidal. So, this is like the bottom line — lives saved from stigma reduction,” Hays said.
ROSC aims to increase participation in the survey. It can be accessed online through Nov. 30.
“I want to say we've got about 170 responses [so far],” Hays said. “Our target goal is we want at least double the amount of survey responses we got last year, which was about 220.”
They've also implemented educational programs on topics like social-emotional intelligence and substance use disorders. Partner agencies have included Illinois State University Police, Allies Against Trafficking and the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.
