Issue 1
May 9, 2022
INTRO
Hello, fellow Illinoisans! Welcome to the first edition of "What's happening in the World of Behavioral Health" E-Newsletter. My name is David T. Jones and I serve as the Chief Behavioral Health Officer for the great State of Illinois. In this role, I am responsible for further transforming how Illinois supports mental, emotional, and overall behavioral health wellness for everyone especially those most in need. I will work with a cornucopia of stakeholders to better align, coordinate and where possible, integrate prevention, treatment and recovery supports across the behavioral health system of care. I am honored to be in this role and am excited about what's to come for the Illinois behavioral health landscape. This newsletter will be a space to learn about current behavioral health innovations, spotlight providers, highlight key behavioral health resources, and more. If you would like to be featured in an upcoming newsletter and/or have thoughts around how to make this space one that is engaging and useful, please contact Leanna Altamore, within the Chief Behavioral Health Office, at Leanna.Altamore@illinois.gov. I look forward to working in partnership to ensure Illinois is considered among the best in the world when it comes to behavioral health. Be well!
- David T. Jones, Chief Behavioral Health Officer
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Stay in touch with the CBHO and the latest happenings in the world of behavioral health by signing up for the CBHO's What's happening in the World of Behavioral Health E-Newsletter. https://go.illinois.edu/CBHONewsletter
Mental Health Month and Innovative Partnerships
May is Mental Health Month. Observed since 1949 in the United States, this designation calls attention to the importance of acknowledging and honoring mental health as a priority in our nation. In Illinois, there is work happening every day to cultivate both a culture and infrastructure that acknowledges and supports the behavioral health of all Illinoisans, regardless of insurance status or zip code.
Illinois recently embarked on an innovative and strategic partnership with the National Council for Mental Well-being to expand Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) across the state, with this very principle in mind. "A CCBHC is a specially-designated clinic that provides a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use services. The CCBHC model alleviates decades-old challenges that have led to a crisis in providing access to mental health and substance use care. As an integrated and sustainably financed model for care delivery, CCBHCs:
- Ensure access to integrated, evidence-based substance use disorder and mental health services, including 24/7 crisis response and medication-assisted treatment (MAT).
- Meet stringent criteria regarding timeliness of access, quality reporting, staffing and coordination with social services, criminal justice, and education systems.
- Receive funding to support the real costs of expanding services to fully meet the need for care in their communities." (Reference: National Council CCBHC Success Center)
Over the coming days, weeks and months, the Department's of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) and Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) will work to expand the number of CCBHC's operating in Illinois, utilizing National Council for support and resources along the way. As the work progresses, we will be sure to keep everyone updated. For more information about CCBHCs in Illinois, please contact Carrie Wilcox (Carrie.Wilcox@illinois.gov.) or Eric Foster (Eric.F.Foster@illinois.gov).
Spotlight on Lived Expertise
Through the CRSS Success Program, students with personal lived experience in recovery from mental health and/or substance use challenges can participate in quality training and internship experiences, free-of-charge. The Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health awarded grants to 11 post-secondary educational institutions across the state to develop programs to prepare students to sit for one of two exams through the Illinois Certification Board: either the Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) or the Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS). The education and internship will advance students from experience to expertise, preparing them to effectively utilize their lived experience in support of others who are on the path to recovery. For more information, please see the DHS website here and Illinois Department of Human Services Awards $4 Million in Grants to Support Students Preparing to Become Behavioral Health Workers (PDF)
Fiscal Benefits of Investing in and Implementing BH Programming
On April 19th, 2022, Governor Pritzker signed a budget with tremendous investment in the behavioral health space. Of note, he plans to increase funding by approximately $230 million to mental health care and community-based substance use disorder treatment providers; provide funding to fully implement the Pathways to Success Program for children with serious mental illnesses; create the appropriation framework for the first year of funding from the National Multi-State Opioid Settlement agreement for prevention, treatment, and recovery services; and will allocate $70 million to implement the 9-8-8 Call Center and Crisis Response for individuals expental health crisis.This fiscal commitment to expanding behavioral health resources will allow Illinois to advance evidenced-based and evidenced-informed treatment models, paving the way for improved behavioral health outcomes for those seeking mental health and/or substance use disorder care throughout the State.
Evidence-based Practices and Transformation in Illinois
The use of Evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders continues to be sorelyunderutilized. This is especially alarming given the scale of the overdose epidemic our nation currently faces. SAMHSA has indicated that the clinical standard of care is Medication Assisted Recovery (MAR) in effectively treating those with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Illinois is leading theway for both implementation of MAR and in innovative partnerships to address this ongoing issue. Medical Director for the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR) within IDHS, Dr. Nicole Gastala, was invited to present at the upcoming Blue Cross Blue Shield Illinois - Spring 2022 Value-based Care (VBC) Medical Director Roundtable to highlight best practices for inpatient and emergency department settings, and medical stabilization for those with OUD. This is a shiningexample of the broad scale, ongoing, systems education and information Illinois needs to developthe best behavioral health system in the Country.
