Rally at Thompson Center

Yesterday several hundred people (including a great Thresholds group!) rallied at the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago. There was lots of passion and energy. Check out more by Tony Zipple, Thresholds’ CEO, on our Facebook album, or our read our live Twitter-feed from the event!

Speakers talked about how Gov. Quinn’s proposed $90 million cut to mental health funding would decimate services, leave thousands of consumers without the resources they need, and lead to enormous costs in the future. They also talked about how we need to offer community-based services, not institutional care in nursing homes, jails or hospitals. Not only are community based services more effective, they’re also much cheaper.

We made the news in several places… woohoo!

WGN-TV (Channel 9)
Video: Rally for mental health services

CLTV
Video: Rally for mental health services

WBBM-Newsradio
Rally Held Over Fears For Cut In Mental Health Services, Steve Miller Reporting

A few hundred people rallied at the Thompson Center at noon – upset over fears that the state’s mental health services budget will be cut by tens of millions of dollars.

It wasn’t just counselors or providers of mental health services who rallied at the Thompson Center. It was clients. People in treatment for mental illness who say their lives would change dramatically if the state cut off a lot of money to treatment programs.

“My whole family just about is receiving some kind of treatment for mental illness, and we’d be lost without it.”

Nickie Balcerzak is from Calumet Park.

“We need more funding… It saves lives. I just see more crime, more hospitalizations. Being put in nursing homes or ending up on the street is no solution.”

“Balscerzak held a sign that said “We have rights to happiness.”

People also rallied in Springfield. Here’s the video.

Advertisement