About the MCMHB
About The Macon County Mental Health Board
The Macon County Mental Health Board is a unit of local government operating under the provisions of H.B. 708, Illinois Revised statutes, also known as the Community Mental Health Act.
The Macon County Mental Health Board was created by a referendum approved by the voters of Macon County in 1965. Through the passage of this referendum, a property tax levy was established to support the Mental Health Board’s mission to assure that a comprehensive and coordinated system of effective and efficient public mental health services is available and accessible to all of the citizens of Macon County in need of such services. The Community Mental Health Act defines mental health services as those services related to mental illness/mental health, services related to developmental disabilities, and services related to substance use.
Each year, levied funds are distributed to various organizations to provide services for residents of Macon County related to mental illness/mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance use. The Macon County Mental Health Board supports services for over 12,000 individuals in Macon County annually.
The Mental Health Board engages in planning activities designed to better determine the mental health service needs within Macon County. The Board oversees the provision of disaster mental health services and critical incident stress management for emergency service providers.
Our History and Mission
Established in 1965, the Macon County Mental Health Board supports services for over 12,000 annually throughout Macon County.
The mission of the Board is to assure that a comprehensive and coordinated system of effective and efficient public mental health services is available and accessible to all of the citizens of Macon County in need of such services.
The Community Mental Health Act defines mental health services as those services related to mental illness/mental health, services related to developmental disabilities, and services related to substance abuse.
The Mental Health Board engages in planning activities designed to better determine the mental health service needs within Macon County. The Board oversees the provision of disaster mental health services and critical incident stress management for emergency service providers.
Our Board of Directors and Committees
The Chair of the Macon County Board appoints a nine-member Mental Health Board to administer the mental health tax. State statute requires this Board, a unit of local government, to plan, fund, coordinate and evaluate public mental health/mental illness, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services in Macon County.
Each of the nine members of the Board must be residents of Macon County. A term is four years. One member is also a member of the Macon County Board. No member of the Board may be a board member or employee of any facility or service provider operating under contract to the Board, or a full-time or part-time employee of the Illinois Department of Human Services.
The Board usually meets monthly and uses various committees to accomplish its work. These committees are: Executive, Budget & Finance, Policy and Nominating. The full Macon County Mental Health Board assigns relevant tasks to the appropriate committee. The committee completes the task using staff assistance as necessary and makes a recommendation to the full Board. A final decision is made by a vote of the full Board. The Board rarely takes spontaneous action. The Board and staff have separate roles. The Board is charged with setting policy; staff is charged with administering and implementing Board policy.
To contact a Board member, please email general@mcmhb.com.
BOARD MEMBERS
Bryan Smith, President (2007)
Sherri Arnold, Vice President (2017)
Evyonne Hawkins, Treasurer (2016)
Steve Rathnow, Secretary (2007)
Barb Dunn, Member (1977-1987, 2017)
Jerry Johnson, Member (2019)
Elizabeth Featherstone, Member (2022)
Diane Couri, Member (2022)
Jeff Entler, Member (2023)
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Bryan Smith, Chairperson
Sherri Arnold
Evyonne Hawkins
Steve Rathnow
BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE
Evyonne Hawkins, Chairperson
Steve Rathnow
Jerry Johnson
Barbara Dunn
Sherri Arnold
POLICY COMMITTEE
Jerry Johnson, Chairperson
Barbara Dunn
Elizabeth Featherstone
Diane Couri
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Sherri Arnold, Chairperson
Elizabeth Featherstone
Jeff Entler