CARE Program receives funding from Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board
CARE Program receives funding from Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board Heading link
Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board (WCCMHB) has awarded the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford (UICOMR) a funding amount of $846,648.66 to the Compassionate Appreciation for Recovery in Everyone (CARE) Program. The program provides a fully integrated transition to care services for individuals who are incarcerated upon their return to society for medical, mental health and substance use disorders. The program is in conjunction with the UI Health Mile Square Health Center-L.P. Johnson Rockford and the Winnebago County Justice Center.
“We are grateful for the support of the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board and the opportunity to serve our community in this meaningful way,” said Alesia Jones, PhD, principal investigator for the CARE Program, an associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion at UICOMR. “With this funding, we can continue the CARE program, which is helping formerly incarcerated individuals to continue their mental health and addiction treatment services that can be life-changing upon their return to the community.”
Says Joseph Garry, MD, head of the UICOMR Department of Family and Community Medicine, “This is an innovative program that is making a real difference in the lives and health of our county’s residents. Our collaboration with the Sheriff’s Office and our health systems, along with support and funding from the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board, is what makes these types of new programs possible.”
“With this grant, we are uniquely positioned to provide same-day/next-day access to care for patients who have been justice-involved in our community,” said Danielle Rodriguez, DNP, FNP-BC, addiction specialist at the Mile Square Health Center-L.P. Johnson Rockford, where CARE patients receive their behavioral health services. “We believe that this critical linkage to care offers patients a safe transition back into our community and a patient-centered medical home where they feel seen and supported.”
As a funded partner of the WCCMHB, the UICOMR joins an integrated network of programs that share a commitment to providing quality mental health and substance use services and programs to the children and adults of Winnebago County. WCCMHB invests in local nonprofits and governmental entities that provide mental health services and substance use treatment in Winnebago County through a voter-approved half-cent sales tax.