By C1 Staff
COOK COUNTY, Ill. — County health officials are raising pay and pushing legislation that will forgive student loans in order to attract more psychiatrists to the Cook County Jail.
The Chicago Tribune reports that a mental health staffing shortage has been a persistent problem with Cermak Health Services, which provides all health care for inmates at the massive jail complex.
It’s estimated that almost a third of the jail’s 8,400 inmates might have a diagnosed mental disorder.
Currently, eight of 25 budgeted prisons for mental health professionals remain vacant. Even if those positions were filled, it’s believed that the facility would need additional help to handle all the inmates.
In ongoing union negotiations, the county has proposed raising the pay for a psychiatrist from $190,000 to $230,000.
In addition, newly introduced legislation would add county and municipal corrections employees to the National Health Service Corps, enabling them to qualify for up to $50,000 each in federal student loan relief.