When a social service provider has to shut down programs, that can cause the burden on taxpayers to increase, even though it's because the state government has stopped its funding.
That's according to the CEO of a mental health care network called Centerstone Illinois. John Markley says he had to close Centerstone's crisis center in June, which helped people with psychiatric emergencies. At the center in Carterville, it cost Centerstone about $400 on average to treat an individual. Markley says the same case at a hospital would cost more than $2,000.
"When it was open the first year, we saved taxpayers $4.1 million because we diverted people from the emergency room," Markley said.
Fewer options to get help can also mean that people wait until a crisis only gets worse. That translates into even higher bills that Markley says will end up costing the state more in the end.