As the nation grappled with an increased need for mental health services and rising numbers of overdose deaths, Rosecrance responded by serving more than 50,000 individuals for the first time in organization history.
Rosecrance assisted more than 54,000 people during the 2022 fiscal year—a 22 percent jump in three years.
“It is an incredible accomplishment to touch that many lives, yet it shows how many more individuals are searching for the hope of recovery,” said Rosecrance President and CEO Dave Gomel, Ph.D. “We’re just one of many providers seeing more clients than ever before because the need is so great.”
As Dr. Gomel observed, the demand for services has grown dramatically in recent years. According to an American Psychological Association survey, 43 percent of psychologists reported serving more clients, while nearly two-thirds received more referrals from other sources than before. In line with national mental health trends, anxiety and depression inquiries saw the most growth.
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 100,000 deaths from drug overdoses in 2021, a number largely driven by increased opioid use. More than 3,000 Illinoisans died from overdoses last year—a 36 percent increase from 2019.
Rosecrance met the need by strengthening its robust continuum of care and lowering barriers to treatment. Leadership worked with legislators in Illinois and Iowa to secure higher reimbursement rates for services and funding for new longer-term adolescent mental health programs. Rosecrance also opened several new outpatient clinics and by broadened programs through Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic grants.