By KELLY WILSON

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

Mike Rein has been working in the human services field for more than 30 years and while inadequate state funding always has been an issue, he's never seen a crisis like the one currently being faced by agencies like his.

"This is by far the worst it's ever been," said Rein, executive director of Transitions of Western Illinois. "This is the way we treat our most vulnerable people?"

Transitions provides mental health treatment and rehabilitation services to people who have serious mental illnesses, people who have developmental disabilities and children and adults who are in crisis.

"For years, the state has inadequately funded its human service system," Rein said, pointing out that Illinois ranks last among the nation's 50 states and the District of Columbia in funding for community-based human services.

State funding for Transitions' programs has been flat while costs have risen the past four years, and now significant budget cuts are on the horizon.

"We have been told from the state that we have to set aside a reserve amount of money, and this is a reserve (the state) may or may not call back. Our advice is to proceed as we're not going to get it," Rein said.

The reserve amounts to 12 percent for developmental disability programs and 20 percent for mental health programs -- equal to about $500,000 out of Transitions' budget for the remainder of this fiscal year, which ends seven months from now on June 30.

"We need it," Rein said. "If we act like we're not going to get it, that means we're not going to spend it and next year they'll only fund as much as we spend, so the reserve becomes an annual cut. That means we have to eliminate services that are vital to consumers and their families."

Rein and other Transitions' staff and consumers have spent the last two months lobbying to get the cuts restored.

"I'm hoping none of that happens. I'm hoping what we're seeing is a political game of chicken to see which of the politicians will flinch first," Rein said.

But "this reserve thing that we thought was going away, it hasn't," he said. "It looks like it's becoming more and more of a reality, and it's going to affect the quality of life in every community in the state."

If a solution isn't found, Rein said he was told the cuts would be effective Jan. 1.

"This should not be done," he said. "I'm not saying we need to be untouchable. But if you look at the state budget, the state is still spending $56 billion doing something. If you prioritize, I don't think human services would be at the bottom of the list."

For now, Rein said he has received guidance from the Transitions Board to continue operating as if the $500,000 will be there.

"There's no need to unnecessarily shut down programs and deny access to services. We're going to finish out this year with somewhat of a wait-and-see kind of attitude," he said. "But next fiscal year, all bets are off."

The Adams County Board recently gave Transitions a boost with a $330,000 increased appropriation for developmental disability services. But that money won't arrive until July.

The request was made to help Transitions fill a deficit created by low state reimbursement rates for developmental disability services.

-- kwilson@whig.com/221-3391