(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — After many people found themselves facing mental health problems due to the pandemic, counseling providers in Kane County are saying they need help, too.
The county's service providers are pushing for more funding to help them stay afloat.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an increased demand for mental health counselors, but the heavy caseloads are causing workers to quit their jobs in search of less stress and better pay.
"There is a shortage of qualified mental health workers in the field, and at the same time, when you run a community mental health center, the salaries you're able to offer don't keep up with hospital salaries or school salaries," Laura Poss, executive director of TriCity Family Services in Geneva, told WBBM Newsradio on Wednesday.
The Daily Herald reported that service providers gathered on Tuesday night to let Kane County officials know they want more funding to hire more professionals and to give bonuses to the counselors who've stuck around throughout the crisis.
The county is supposed to receive $103 million in federal funding through the American Rescue Plan, and mental health centers are hoping officials will direct a chunk of that their way.
"If I could hire 20 more therapists tomorrow, I would hire 20 more therapists tomorrow," Poss said.
