With the governor’s proposed budget set to impose devastating cuts on the Sertoma Center, Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Tinley Park) visited the center to stress that maintaining funding for individuals with mental health and developmental disabilities needs to be a priority.

“When you make cuts to services on paper it is one thing, but when you step into the shoes of those men and women who suffer from mental health and developmental disabilities it shows that it is not about the money,” Hastings said. “Actual lives are at stake here and it is important to invest now before we have liabilities later.”

The Sertoma Centre offers a number of programs including autism services, developmental training, mental health services, behavioral health services and a number of residential services.

Hastings had the opportunity to speak with the staff and clients at the Sertoma Centre about what the governor’s proposed budget cuts would mean for the facility, the people they serve and the community.

On March 31, State Senator Michael Hastings (D-Tinley Park) met with executive s and recipients from Illinois Mentor Community Services in Matteson. The organization provides residential and support services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as other specialized needs such as dual diagnosis (when a patient has mental illness along with a substance abuse problem),autism and those with medical, behavioral or physical challenges.

The budget proposed by Governor Rauner slashes funding for services to developmentally disabled individuals.

“Simply making a cut because it makes sense on paper is one thing,” Hastings said, “but once you step into the shoes of these individuals and see how these services impact their lives it shows that it is not about the money.”

Hastings met with executives Rochelle Johnson, Jennifer Humbert and Cherri Saindon to discuss their current budget planning and how the governor’s budget could impact operations going forward.

Illinois Mentor’s Host Home program allows individuals to live in a private family home provided by a mentor who is able to guide the individual to acquire skills and participate in the community life according to their own interests and abilities.

After speaking with the executives, Hastings visited a local host home in Matteson where two recipients, Ian and Larry, live with their gracious host, Eddie. Host homes are filled on a completely volunteer basis, and recipients are matched with a host whose lifestyle matches their own.