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Centerstone Cuts Impact 700 Clients

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Human service agencies in Illinois - like Centerstone - have been providing services as best they can during the ongoing budget stalemate.

But, as we approach the start of a second fiscal year without a state budget, Centerstone has announced it will have to eliminate some vital services.
CEO John Markley says this will mean the loss of 39 jobs and affect 700 clients. But, he says the impact on the community goes well beyond the numbers.
 
"With leaving children, runaway and homeless youth in the jails, leaving them on the streets; with a crisis center that's been so, in terms of respite for people in need of coming out of the hospitals and having an opportunity to transition back into the communities or keeping people out of the hospitals."

Markley says he is stunned Governor Rauner and lawmakers are allowing the budget impasse to continue, hurting Illinoisans, especially the most vulnerable that Centerstone serves.
 
"You're cutting services to people, not who, 'oh well, if they don't get it, we'll just go somewhere else, or we'll just wait.' It is going to have a critical impact on their lives immediately and it's going to have a more devastating effect on them because we are not there to provide those services."

He says it is real and there will be a ripple effect throughout the region.
 
"This is not a bluff. It's certainly going to have a severe impact on our communities. Law enforcement is going to see this, communities with people out on the streets, people have nowhere to go. People more in the hospital, and hospitals who are part of our stakeholders and people we work with regularly, it is going to create havoc in their arenas as well."

The state contracts being eliminated include Crisis Stabilization Services in Williamson County; Comprehensive Community Based Youth Services in Jackson, Williamson, Franklin and Perry counties, as well as Juvenile Justice and Homeless services in multiple counties.

Markley says these cuts had to be made to protect 600 employees across the state and the 16-thousand clients who depend on them.

 

As a news producer and news anchor on All Things Considered, Brad provides the listeners with a recap of the day's top local and state news as well as breaking news at any given time. Contact WSIU Radio at 618-453-6101 or email wsiunews@wsiu.org
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