SPRINGFIELD – Today in the Capitol, Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) passed a resolution to designate this month of March Social Work Month in Illinois.

“Social workers protect the most vulnerable among our society and deserve to be celebrated for their tireless efforts,” said Castro. “I’m happy that my fellow senators see the importance of everything social workers do to support our communities and join me in making March the month to recognize their hard work.”

With nearly 650,000 social workers in the U.S. and over 20,000 in Illinois, social workers are the largest group of mental health care providers in the U.S., and help people cope with a wide range of challenges in life.

Some Elgin-area residents are going without vital mental health services, such as emergency assessments, crisis counseling, psychiatry and other treatments – or waiting longer to receive such help – because of state funding cuts.

Over the past two years the governor has eliminated state grants for individuals without insurance and grants for psychiatric services. At the Ecker Center in Elgin, this results in many people who are seeking mental health help being turned away during a time when the need is high.

The center has been forced to let a full time psychiatrist go, and have been unable to replace those hours of service to the public. Additionally, it has been forced to close one of its group homes.

Although it is managing to stay afloat in spite of not being fully funded, the Ecker Center is worried for its future and the future of mental health services for the state.

In an interview with the Elgin Courier News, Karen Beyer, the executive director said there is an increasing number of people who need these services. She explained that she’s not worried about the Ecker Center, but rather the people it can’t serve. “We are very frightened, all of us,” Beyer told the Courier.

SPRINGFIELD – Today, Governor Rauner addressed the General Assembly to explain his proposed budget. In response, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) released the following statement.

“We have heard this budget address before,” said Castro. “For the third year now, the governor has failed to present a balanced budget and as a result, social services and higher education continue to suffer.”

“Gov. Rauner presented some great talking points, but that’s all they are: talk, nothing solid. The Senate, in a bipartisan fashion, has worked to put forth action. Words are meaningless without action. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the legislature to negotiate a grand bargain and am hopeful that the governor will support it when it comes to his desk.”

ELGIN- The staggering effects of Illinois’ budget stalemate and the components of a wide-ranging Senate plan to break the impasse were the focus of Senator Cristina Castro’s first town hall meeting with constituents in Elgin Wednesday night.

Castro, an Elgin Democrat, was sworn in for her first term as a state senator in January. She co-hosted the town hall meeting with Representative Anna Moeller, also an Elgin Democrat. More than 150 people turned out for the discussion. Although originally scheduled for an hour, Castro and Moeller spent two-hours speaking with their constituents on a wide-range of issues.  

"Local residents are the voices that should be heard first and foremost in Springfield," Castro said. "Town hall meetings are one of the ways that legislators like Rep. Moeller and I can hear what our constituents’ concerns are so we can work together towards improving our state.”