Illinois governor lays out a roadmap for a ‘transformed’ youth mental health care system
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Illinois governor lays out a roadmap for a ‘transformed’ youth mental health care system

CHICAGO — Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday released a blueprint for transforming what the state acknowledges is a confusing patchwork system for families who need greater access to mental health care for their children at a moment of overwhelming need both in Illinois and across the country. The current fragmented system, compounded by a workforce…

COVID federal funding will expire. How are schools investing in student mental health for the long term?
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COVID federal funding will expire. How are schools investing in student mental health for the long term?

LA MOILLE — Students in the La Moille School District don’t have a full-time school social worker or psychologist. For tiny, rural districts like La Moille — which has only 170 students — that’s not unusual. Rural schools are much less likely to offer mental health services than urban and suburban schools. 37% of high…

Community in uproar after board votes to temporarily close Wiley Elementary for asbestos abatement
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Community in uproar after board votes to temporarily close Wiley Elementary for asbestos abatement

  URBANA – The Urbana  School District 116 school board received significant backlash at its February 21 board meeting after voting to close Wiley Elementary School this coming summer to fix its asbestos problem.  People gathered en masse dressed in red Wiley attire to speak out against this decision. Many spoke during the citizens comments…

Evictions on the rise in the Midwest put public health at risk

Evictions on the rise in the Midwest put public health at risk

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The trouble for Rolland Carroll started last fall. That’s when the 61-year-old said his apartment complex in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, informed him that his federal housing aid for his one-bedroom apartment had been reduced months ago. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s4780019/audio/2023/02/sfx-evictions-krebs.mp3 Listen to this story here. He owed more than $2,000 in back rent. “I…

A new Champaign clinic will focus on equity in abortion care

A new Champaign clinic will focus on equity in abortion care

CHAMPAIGN – The Supreme Court ruling in June overturning Roe v. Wade did away with federal protections for abortion rights. The decision returned the power to ban the procedure to states, rendering the country a patchwork of different abortion laws. Listen to this story here. In Illinois, abortion remains legal. But the procedure is banned…

Three health policy stories to watch in 2023

Three health policy stories to watch in 2023

Considering the country’s divided Congress, Americans shouldn’t hold their breath for major health reform legislation this year. On the other hand, 2023 is shaping up to see some incredibly consequential health policy changes that could impact millions. Here’s a quick look at three of them: State officials are looking to pass new abortion laws and…