BLOOMINGTON - Substance abuse early intervention programs provided by Bloomington-based Chestnut Health Systems have been eliminated in 28 of 35 schools because of state budget cuts, Chestnut announced Monday.

"We want the state to restore the money as soon as possible," Chestnut Chief Operating Officer Alan Sender said. "This is not a small cut."

Gov. Rod Blagojevich last month cut $1.4 billion from the state budget for the fiscal year that began July 1.

"We agree that additional revenue is needed" but the governor needed to balance the budget, Katie Ridgway, the governor's press secretary, said later Monday. She urged advocates to contact state legislators to push for additional revenue.

Blagojevich's cut included $55 million - or 43 percent - from the state's drug and alcohol abuse treatment and prevention programs provided by organizations such as Chestnut. Sender said Chestnut's school-based services in Central and southern Illinois have been cut by $2.3 million - from $4.3 million to less than $2 million.

Chestnut responded by eliminating 13 positions, or 5 percent of its workforce. The nine full-time and four part-time employees included six full-time and one-part time employee in McLean County, said Joan Hartman, Chestnut central region manager. The remaining employees worked in Madison County.

The layoffs mean Chestnut can't provide substance abuse early intervention services in 28 of 35 schools. In Central Illinois, Chestnut no longer will be in Tri-Valley schools in Downs, St, Mary's Elementary School in Bloomington, Heyworth schools, Lexington schools, LeRoy schools, Lincoln College in Normal and Lincoln, and Heartland Community College in Normal, Hartman said.

Chestnut will continue to provide services - but with reduced hours - in Normal Community and Normal Community West high schools, Central Catholic High School in Bloomington, Holy Trinity School in Bloomington, Epiphany School in Normal, Stanford-based Olympia schools and Colfax-based Ridgeview schools, she said. Chestnut had not provided services in Bloomington-based District 87.

During the 2007-2008 school year, Chestnut served 1,269 youth in the 35 schools, Sender said.

If the money is not restored, further layoffs may be needed, said Sender, who called the cuts "one of the most painful chapters in Chestnut's history."

Early intervention programs are cost-effective, he said. Youth who abuse alcohol or drugs will cost society more money later with marital and workplace strife and jail time, he said.