CRYSTAL LAKE – At its first emergency meeting since one of the county’s largest and oldest behavioral health agencies announced its collapse, the McHenry County Mental Health Board discussed options for clients of Family Service and Community Mental Health Center.

The board at a public hearing Wednesday night heard impassioned pleas from Family Service clients, employees and other mental health care providers. There were at least 150 people at the meeting, many telling their experiences with Family Service. Others pleaded not to be forgotten.

“We want to be your voice, that is so important,” the Rev. Jim Swarthout, a Mental Health Board member, told one client. “We will be your voice, we will be your face. I promise you that.”