Welcome Dr. Inger Burnett-Zeigler
Welcome to my first Newsletter as the State's Chief Behavioral Health Officer!
I am Dr. Inger Burnett-Zeigler, and I will lead the Chief Behavioral Health Office, in coordination with relevant State agencies, including Children and Family Services, Healthcare and Family Services, Human Services, Public Health and Corrections. In this collaborative effort, my team will work to transform how Illinois supports the mental health, wellness and functioning of residents across our great state, particularly those most in need. I am a licensed clinical psychologist, most recently serving as an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. I have over two decades of clinical experience providing psychological interventions to help people with stress management, trauma symptoms, and mood and anxiety conditions.
My scholarly work has focused on the role that structural and social determinants of health play in disparities in mental illness treatment. I have led research to develop, test, and implement evidence-based culturally tailored interventions in community-based settings. As a part of this work, I partnered with community-based organizations to increase access and engagement in mental health interventions, expand staff capacity, and provide mental health education to communities.
I am actively engaged in the community and have served on several non-profit and government boards including Thresholds, Heartland Alliance Health, Chicago High School for the Arts, and Cook County Health and Hospitals. I am a contributor to the public discourse on mental health and have been featured in national media outlets, including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Good Morning America, and CNN. I am also the author of Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen: The Emotional Lives of Black Women (Amistad, 2021).
I received my undergraduate degree in psychology from Cornell University, my doctorate in clinical psychology from Northwestern University, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the VA Ann Arbor/University of Michigan. I am a proud south-side Chicagoan who enjoys the arts, yoga, and travel. I am honored to serve the State of Illinois in my new role as Chief Behavioral Health Officer, and look forward to working with you to ensure Illinois has the best behavioral health system in the country.
Inger Burnett-Zeigler, PhD
Chief Behavioral Health Officer
Gov. Pritzker Announces Launch of BEACON Children's Behavioral Health Portal
On January 15, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative (CBHTI) announced the public launch of the Behavioral Health Care and Ongoing Navigation (BEACON) care portal, a centralized resource for Illinois youth and families seeking mental health services and care, including state agency support and community-based programs. BEACON is now live for use by Illinois residents and can be accessed at BEACON.
In the portal, parents and caregivers can learn which community-based resources are available nearby and which state-funded programs youth may be eligible for. These programs might include outpatient counseling, school-based services, wraparound services to help support families caring for youth with complex needs, or residential treatment services. BEACON also provides assistance organizing information about a child's care and connecting families with services, including communication with state agencies.
BEACON provides Illinois families with information about available behavioral health services for children and adolescents, centralizing resources from the following agencies:
- Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS)
- Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
- Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)
- Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)
- Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS)
- Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ)
Additional information in the GO press release can be found at Gov. Pritzker Announces Launch of BEACON Children's Behavioral Health Portal.
February is Black History Month
Black History Month is a time to honor the achievements and vibrant culture of Black people. In doing so, we also must acknowledge the ongoing fight against racism and the resultant multi- generational trauma, negative impacts on mental and physical health and community disinvestment. Black History Month is a conscious decision to "… honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history." This Black History Month, we are spotlighting two pioneers in the field of psychology.
Janet E. Helms, PhD, is a respected social scientist, professor, and psychologist. Dr. Helms is currently a Professor Emeritus at Boston College and previously held the prestigious position of Augustus Long Professor in the Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology and Director of the Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture. Dr. Helms is also the co-founder of Psychologists for Racial Justice, an educational entity that teaches alternative ways of using race in psychology.
In 2023, she was awarded a Presidential Citation by the American Psychological Association (APA) for forging a path for scientific understanding of racial identity development. In a 2020 article published by the APA, Helms emphasized the importance of embracing discomfort, stating, "I would encourage people to stay with the discomfort because if you're uncomfortable about race, there is likely to be growth there."
She has written numerous books, including the trailblazing volume "A Race is a Nice Thing to Have: A Guide to Being a White Person or Understanding the White Persons in Your Life". Her deep expertise in race, racism, and multicultural issues has driven her to author and coauthor over 100 publications, garnering over 30,000 citations and counting.
While Dr. Helms has received many achievements throughout her career, one of her most recent outstanding accolades is the 2019 American Psychological Foundation's Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Psychology in the Public Interest.
William E. Cross, Jr., PhD, the founder of Black psychology, was one of America's leading theorists and researchers on Black identity development and racial-ethnic identity development in general. In 2020, he was awarded the American Psychological Foundation's Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement in the Application of Psychology.Additionally, in 2022, Dr. Cross received the APA Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology based on his ongoing commitment to theorizing about and measuring identity constructs in Black Americans and other cultural groups.
Published in 1971, with revisions in 1991 and 2001, his original nigrescene model was a transformative event in the fields of cultural identity and cultural psychology. According to the APA, "Cross' articulation of nigrescence-the process of becoming Black-captured in a developmental psychological formulation the social and political attitudes of African Americans in the Civil Rights era.
The model allowed for testable hypotheses about the role of Black racial identity and set the stage for much of the scientific scrutiny of racial identity that has taken place since its publication. Cross' Q-sort measurement of his proposed racial identity stages provided the foundation for the development of the Racial Identity Attitude Scale, which upon its publication in 1981, became the preeminent instrument for assessing Black racial identity attitudes in the last two decades of the 20th century."
Even with the praise of the original nigrescene model, Dr. Cross continued to study Black identity for five decades. His nigrescence model has influenced scholarship on numerous other cultural identity models.
Black Americans' Mental Health
While February serves as a time to honor the history and culture of Black Americans, it is also a time to analyze unmet needs. Mental health conditions are often insufficiently addressed within the Black community. Despite the prevalence of chronic stress and trauma, there remains significant stigma around having a mental health condition and receive treatment. The disproportionate burden of social and environmental stressors that contribute to mental health problems among Black Americans is exacerbated by disparities in access to care, structural discrimination and racism, contributing to significant gaps in treatment quality and ultimately increased rates of morbidity and mortality.
SAMHSA's 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (see Figure 1) shows Black adults received mental health treatment at a 14.9% lower rate compared to White adults (43.8% and 58.7% respectively), despite a less than 5% difference in reported mental illness (24% for White adults and 19.4% or Black adults). Black Americans aged 12 and older have similar rates of substance use disorder (17.6%) as non-Hispanic Whites, but higher rates of illicit drug use (19.4% vs. 17.7% respectively).
A report published in November 2021 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed suicide rates in the United States decreased by 3% in 2020, but increased among men of color, including Black men. Suicide was the third leading cause of death among Black Americans aged 10 to 24 years old, and Black American men 25 to 34. Suicide rates for girls ages 10 - 14 years old increased by 31% between 2019 and 2020; compared to white girls whose rate decreased by 10%.
In 2023, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) State Health Assessment, Healthy Illinois 2028, named racism as a public health crisis. This public health crisis is far from new, and is coupled by health-related social needs (HRSN). Elevated prevalence of adverse HRSNs are shown among Black adults when compared to White adults. Examples include social and emotional support, employment instability, food insecurity, housing insecurity, and utility and transportation instability. These factors not only influence access to care, but also culturally-competent quality care. Furthermore, research shows "…that across virtually every type of diagnostic and treatment intervention Blacks and other minorities receive fewer procedures and poorer-quality medical care than do Whites."
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There is work being done to reverse this trend and improve the mental health of Black Americans. Illinois is working to increase access to integrated health care for all by launching 19 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) last year and adding over 100 Behavioral Health Clinics (BHC) since 2018. In 2023, Illinois added a legal requirement of implicit bias trainings for healthcare professionals. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services has invested millions to reorient Illinois' healthcare delivery system around people and communities through the Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives. Finally, the Department of Human Services continues to invest in diversifying the behavioral health workforce through the training of peers in the Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) Success program, and by funding Illinois' Behavioral Health Workforce Center.
This work cannot only take place in the month of February. We must continuously challenge the barriers to mental health care for Black Americans, heal and believe in change. For more resources, visit NAMI's Black/African American resource page or Mental Health America.
March is National Women's History Month
March is National Women's History Month, a time to recognize the significant contributions and ongoing fight for sex and gender equality. Each year, a new theme is chosen for Women's History Month, and the 2025 theme is Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations. While incredible progress has been made, the fight for equality continues as women still face gender-based violence, sexual harassment, the gender pay gap, reproductive rights challenges, and more. This March, we remain diligent in promoting self-care, accessing behavioral health resources, and continuing the fight for justice.
Women's Mental Health
The experience of mental and behavioral health conditions for women - of every gender identity, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity - includes a complicated past. Women experience certain mental health conditions more frequently than men, including anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. When it comes to substance use disorders, women experience more adverse medical, psychiatric and social consequences. The reasons for the disproportionate prevalence of behavioral health conditions for women as compared to men are both biological and social. Biological differences are predominantly focused on, women's hormone level changes such as prenatal and postpartum depression. This can be negatively compounded by greater psychosocial stressors such as societal pressures, socioeconomic status, stress, caregiving expectations, and intimate partner violence.
Women are not a monolith; race, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation subgroups are even more likely to experience mental health issues but are less likely to receive treatment. In a study screening mothers for early postpartum depression symptoms, 46.8% of Hispanic mothers and 43.9% of Black mothers reported symptoms compared with 31% of White mothers. A national survey found that 22% of LGBTQ+ women have attempted suicide, more than 4 times the rate of the general population, with even higher rates among trans (37%) and BIPOC (29%) respondents; and 66% have sought treatment for trauma. Historical and ongoing discrimination have damaged the trust women and minority groups have in the medical system. Today's additional stressors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the reduction of reproductive rights, are further exacerbating women's mental health needs.
Despite this, women are resilient. Institutions are taking a greater interest and focus on women's- specific mental health studies. Progress is being made to eliminate the stigma around female health through increased research on women's mental health and tailored clinical training approaches that validate individual experiences. For additional resources, visit University of Illinois Chicago's Perinatal Mental Health Resources or the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office on Women's Health.
LGBTQ* Health Awareness Week
National LGBTQ Health Awareness week, observed from March 17- March 21, 2025, was created 22 years ago to raise awareness about timely and relevant issues impacting LGBTQ healthcare, including behavioral health. According to KFF, 67% of LGBT+ individuals reported needing a mental health service compared to 39% of non- LGBT+ individuals. The Trevor Project produced a 2020 study on the significantly higher risk of suicide among LGBTQ youth. They explain that LGBTQ young people are at a higher risk not because of an inherent predisposition, but because of how they are mistreated in society. LGBTQ have increased exposure to traumatic events including hate crimes, intimate partner violence and sexual assault. Trauma can be physical or emotional and has lasting impacts on mental health and wellbeing. The commitment to supporting the LGBTQ community from providers and State agencies holds hope for change. For resources, check out Mental Health America or the Human Rights Campaign.
*acronyms used throughout this section reflect the sources cited
World Bipolar Day
As an initiative of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders, March 30th is World Bipolar Day. Bipolar disorder affects more than 3.3 million American adults annually and involves intense mood fluctuations with extreme manic highs and depressive lows, which can have a profound impact on an individual's life if left untreated. Recommended treatment includes the combination of medication, therapies, and psychoeducation. The goal of World Bipolar Day is to provide education about bipolar disorder to eliminate stigma and promote acceptance. Visit the National Institute of Mental Health for additional information.
Register for Threads of Hope Training
Sign up now to reserve your spot for this event! Threads of Hope training equips professionals, helpers, and caregivers with practical frameworks and strategies to better serve children and families affected by the loss of a loved one due to substance use or overdose. Through a collaborative, family-centered approach, these trainings will explore how to provide the comprehensive support these families desperately need. Threads of Hope will be presented by Jessica Porté, a Consultant, Trainer, and Grief Educator with over 14 years of experience in the nonprofit sector.
This training is offered through the Circle of Care statewide initiative in partnership with the Illinois Family Resource Center. The program was created to provide support for children, youth, and families experiencing grief due to the loss of a loved one as the result of substance use or overdose. The program provides a grief support services directory with current clinical and non-clinical grief resources in the state. It also provides free educational trainings on the intersectionality of substance use-related grief and how to support youth and families, online resource toolkits for community helpers to use with children impacted by substance use-related grief, and the promotion of the Handle with Care initiative.
This is a FREE training event! To register, please visit Threads of Hope Training and select the region and date that works for you.
In the News
January 2025 SAMHSA released updated their National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidance, providing a comprehensive framework for transforming crisis care systems across the U.S.
January 6, 2025 The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced the awarding of Health Equity Zone (HEZ) grants to McDonough and Winnebago counties to address January 6, 2025 The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced the awarding of Health Equity Zone (HEZ) grants to McDonough and Winnebago counties to address health disparities through innovative local programs focused on improving mental health, obesity, and sexually transmitted infections.
January 21, 2025 The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has launched a new data dashboard that provides detailed information on violent deaths and firearm-related injuries in the state. This dashboard aims to support data-driven prevention and intervention strategies to reduce such incidents
February 5, 2025 Bipartisan Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act, reauthorizes grant programs and a national campaign to reduce burnout and improve mental health among health care workers, prioritizing communities with shortages and high administrative burdens, for five years. It includes training for health professionals and students to prevent suicide, burnout, and substance use disorders.
