Critics shake their heads. In northern Illinois, the courts refuse to commit a man with a decade of mental problems. In a paranoid rage, he later shoots and kills two family members.
Critics shake their heads.
It's those two extremes that shape the debate about Illinois' mental health commitment law and have led to the scheduling next month of a summit on the issue to include teachers, patient advocates, lawmakers and others. The Alliance for Mentally Ill has organized the Feb. 14 forum in Aurora. The pro-treatment group's executive director, Randy Wells, said the meeting is open to all views. Wells said the hope behind the forum is to provide state lawmakers with a blueprint for changes. This is not the type of legislation that you want to craft hastily.