Dixon police, fire departments push to continue mental health professional funding

DIXON — Due to a loss of federal grant funding, the Dixon Police Department has requested $86,767 in city funds to continue to employ a mental health professional in its ranks.

The Dixon City Council met for its second fiscal 2026 budget work session Monday and went over the proposed budgets for the city’s general fund revenues and several funds related to public safety, city maintenance and economic development.

Most significant was the police department’s creation of a new standalone crisis team coordinator fund to cover the full-time salary and other related expenses needed to continue to employ a licensed mental health professional at the department.

The position was added to the ranks in September 2023 and filled in January 2024. Mayor Glen Hughes said this position was added to the ranks with the expectation that it would be grant funded.

“Unbeknownst to me, the grant that we are currently under had an expiration date with no renewal,” Dixon Police Chief Steven Howell told the council.

The grant expired in October 2024 and the department was able to extend it until January, but the federal government is no longer offering that grant, he said.

On top of that, Howell said, “When the federal grants came out again there wasn’t much to look at.”

He said the department applied for at least one or two grants, but there just isn’t a lot of options.

“We will continue to look for grants that will reimburse what we’re trying to accomplish,” Howell said.

During the past year, the crisis team coordinator has been a huge resource for both the police and the Dixon Fire Department.

“This is really a resource to the community,” Fire Chief Ryan Buskohl said. “It’s providing a service that is not necessarily already available.”

It allows the department to better respond to mental health calls by having an individual on their team who has a deep understanding of mental health and substance use as well as “how to utilize the systems that people in our community may need,” Howell said.

Lee and Whiteside counties are designated as a shortage area for mental health providers in Illinois, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services website.

Howell added that mental health calls are the third-most common call type made to the department and this position allows for the appropriate resources and response to be provided.

“By bringing on a mental health professional, we can work to deflect individuals from the justice system, assist in de-escalation, evaluate on scene at the time of the call, connect with the appropriate resources, advocate for them and follow up with them as well,” Howell said.

Howell said the coordinator has a large caseload of individuals she serves and is providing a service that is not already available at the department.

One example that Howell pointed to that demonstrates the impact the position has had on the community was a family that had recently moved to Dixon and was struggling to manage situations with their adult child, who has intellectual disabilities.

The department was receiving three to five calls daily from this family, he said.

The crisis team coordinator helped the family register with PUNS, which is a database for individuals who want or need Developmental Disability Waiver services funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services. Through that database, those who are registered can get access to resources like group homes or home-based supports.

Since they’ve been connected to those resources, the department no longer receives calls for service from that family, Howell said.

“This is what this program is designed to do, find lasting solutions for those within our community and to provide them with a better quality of life than they had before,” Howell said. “Prior to this program, we typically would only provide a quick fix. We didn’t really have any lasting, long solutions for individuals.”

The crisis coordinator has also done in-house training at the police department and the Dixon Fire Department to help navigate the path of them working with hospitals, Sinnissippi Centers and other local resources. In some cases she’s even adjusted first responders' approach on certain topics or issues related to mental health, he said.

“The biggest thing for us is while we routinely transport behavioral health emergencies, we are not diagnostic by any means... having someone who understands what’s actually going on is a huge benefit, not only to us, but especially to the patient,” Buskohl said.

The budget request includes $66,837 for salary, $9,906 for medical and life insurance, $1,350 for clothing allowance and telephone, $175 for liability insurance, $1,500 for fuel and oil, $2,000 for operating supplies, $1,500 for small equipment and tools and $3,500 for professional development and training, according to the requested budget.

The council didn’t take any action on the request and won’t do so until the budget is finalized in May. The next budget session is at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, at Dixon City Hall, 121 W. Second St.