Lifelong Access celebrates nearly $22 million in state funds for health hub in Bloomington

State and local leaders were in Normal this week to celebrate a nearly $22 million investment in Lifelong Access to expand health services in the region.

The funds will support a collaboration between the organization, Chestnut Health Systems, the Regional Office of Education and other local not-for-profits to build a hub for health and wellness services in downtown Bloomington.

Planned services include behavioral health, psychiatry, a youth behavioral urgent care center, pediatric primary care, dental wellness, alternative youth education, community day services, food security initiatives and supported employment programming.

“The investments we are making here are not only about better healthcare, but community revitalization,” Gov. JB Pritzker said.

Rebecca Brennan, interim CEO of Lifelong Access, said they hope to have the first tenants in the building within the next two years.

The funds are part of the $200 million announced last month by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to support 13 groups’ efforts to address health-related social needs and reduce healthcare disparities in historically underserved communities.

Health News Illinois caught up with Brennan to discuss the funding and what it will mean for the Bloomington-Normal region.

Edited excerpts below:

HNI: Tell me more about the project and what you’re hoping to achieve.

RB: The project for Lifelong Access is just making it a central spot in our community where people can access the services that they need more easily. It’s just an extension of our current services, so that’s our adult day program, our support employment program, our applied behavior analysis for our kids and then our mental health services for our kids, as well as our teams. For us, it’s giving a bigger space to be able to serve more people. We’ll still have our services at our Normal location as well, but we’re glad to have the opportunity to expand.

HNI: What is the demand for the services?

RB: When we think about our community alone, there have been 3,300 behavioral health emergencies involving children. We know that there is a significant need for children, specifically those with Medicaid insurance, for these services. That’s where our data is showing the greatest need for what we’re serving. In our community right now, about 4 percent of the children live with disabilities and need specialized care support.

HNI: What are the challenges to accessing services now?

RB: Transportation can pose a barrier at times. Having a location that’s easier for people to get to that’s not necessarily telehealth — a lot of people want or need that in-person support — for us, this (former Bloomington) Pantagraph building location is going to help serve that purpose.

For the overall project … it’s for more than just what we can provide here at Lifelong Access. Chestnut has their dental and doctors available, and the Regional Office of Education has their school. We’re looking to partner with a food bank that can also serve food insecurities throughout our building. We’re really out to be able to offer a one-stop place for families to be able to get all the services that they need in one location.

HNI: How are you working with partner organizations?

RB: With Chestnut, they’re able to offer substance use disorder treatment for adolescents and youth education. Then with us, we have our applied behavior analysis and behavioral health. We have those food insecurities, and we’re looking to partner with an organization that can support that. We have primary care for pediatric services and psychiatry, and we’re also trying to find a partner for recreational support as well. That’s where we’re excited to be all in one spot for our youth because we know how hard it could be for families to try to go from place to place for different services.