Proposed Facility to Fill the Gap in Mental Health, Substance Abuse Care: Officials

NEW LENOX, IL — A facility for those in need of mental health and substance abuse help could be coming soon to New Lenox and surrounding areas.

Silver Cross Hospital announced on Wednesday plans to build a 100-bed behavioral health hospital to address the mental health and substance abuse crisis in Will and Grundy counties by expanding inpatient and outpatient services. An application for the proposed hospital will be submitted to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board in the near future. If approved by the state, the proposed $22 million Silver Oaks Hospital will be located on five acres of Silver Cross Hospital’s New Lenox campus.

Silver Cross President and CEO Paul Pawlak said since the closing of the Tinley Park Mental Health Center in 2012, there has been a severe shortage of beds forcing more than 60 percent of mental health and chemically dependent patients to leave the area for care.

"Others languish in emergency rooms waiting to be admitted, or worse, end up in jail. This complicates follow-up support services and creates confusion and lack of continuity of care," Pawlak said in a release.

“We strive to provide the best care and convenient access for our behavioral health patients, but the lack of resources in Will and neighboring counties has left people going without treatment leading to the increase in addictions to opiates, heroin and alcohol in our community,” Pawlak said.

“Last year set a new record for fatal heroin overdoses in Will County,” said Larry Walsh, Will County Executive, who has been working with Silver Cross and other community leaders to battle this epidemic. “This new hospital will be an important asset as we continue to fight heroin abuse in our county.”

Will and Grundy Counties lack inpatient chemical dependency unit or services for women who have been abused or traumatized. Silver Cross currently operates a 20-bed inpatient unit for individuals 18 years and older and offers adult outpatient treatment for mental health, chemically dependency, and dual diagnosis.

“Silver Cross has also been a strong partner in our ongoing battle against the growing heroin epidemic and mental health crisis in our community,” said Tim Baldermann, Mayor of the Village of New Lenox. “Our community has been very progressive in helping those with mental illness.

"Through my personal and professional life, I've seen many who were in need of these services that had nowhere to go. It's an issue that hasn't been appropriately dealt with locally or nationally."

State's Attorney Jim Glasgow stressed the importance of reaching people in need.

“Our Specialty Courts, which serve veterans and many others who wrestle with mental illness and drug addiction, have been working relentlessly to fill the chasm in coverage left by the closing of Tinley Park Mental Health Center, but we can only reach people after they run afoul of the law,” State’s Attorney Glasgow said. “The construction of Silver Oaks Hospital will fill a terrible void in services and will enable us to become more proactive by reaching people in these struggling populations before their troubles come to a boil. In addition, the new facility will greatly expand the support network for our Specialty Courts.”

By partnering with US HealthVest, Silver Cross will be able to offer a full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient mental health and substance abuse services for youth, adults, and seniors.

“We are delighted to work with Silver Cross to expand access to care for patients in the Chicago area,” said Dr. Richard Kresch, psychiatrist and President and CEO of US HealthVest. “We are committed to providing high quality psychiatric care through our model of specialized programming.”

Silver Cross detailed US HealthVest's partnerships with existing medical providers to expand psychiatric and substance abuse services and access to care. US HealthVest operates Chicago Behavioral Hospital, a 138-bed psychiatric hospital in Des Plaines, IL and is in the process of developing another psychiatric hospital in Northern Chicago. US HealthVest operates two psychiatric hospitals in Atlanta and will be opening another psychiatric hospital near Seattle in mid-2017. Several other projects are also under development around the country.

Silver Cross also currently has affiliations with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern Medicine for neurosciences, and Advocate Physician Partners.

If the plan receives state approval, The Silver Oaks Hospital project would create more than 200 new healthcare and many construction jobs in addition to generating tax revenue for the Village of New Lenox and Will County. Development of the 2-story, 68,000-sq. ft. hospital will begin late summer of 2017 and open in 2019.