Issue 6
February-March 2023
WELCOME
Hello, fellow Illinoisans!
I hope you are all healthy and well as we move into a new season of Spring. During the month of February, we celebrated Black History Month, a month acknowledged around the world to uplift and celebrate black history. As former President Barack Obama once said, "We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek".
As we say goodbye to the bitter cold and hopefully our winter coats, in this issue I want to share the exciting work that has been taking place over the last several months in Illinois. As you all work to serve others each day, I remind you to take a pause and smell the roses.
Be well,
David T. Jones
Chief Behavioral Health Officer
Chief Behavioral Health Office (CBHO) Kitchen Cabinet Meetings
In January 2023, the CBHO established a Kitchen Cabinet Meeting where state departments, stakeholders, providers, and people with lived experience can advise the CBHO on continued enhancement of an integrated behavioral health system. Kitchen Cabinet members can share experiences, lessons learned and assist with the overall alignment, coordination, and integration of the behavioral health system.
In the Kitchen Cabinet meetings, the CBHO provides proactive opportunities to listen and gather strategic ideas to advance the behavioral health system, receive input from a diverse array of stakeholders, and much more. Establishing the Kitchen Cabinet will not only help guide the work of the CBHO, but also greatly benefit the people of Illinois as we continue to enhance our behavioral health system!
The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) Award
In the CBHO December/January 2023 Newsletter, we shared that Illinois was selected as 1 of 5 states to participate in NASHP's Behavioral Health Modernization Learning Collaborative. Illinois was selected to participate in the NASHP Medicaid Modernization Effort Learning Collaborative.
Illinois' request for technical assistance seeks to establish the groundwork for a bold, statewide restructuring of existing crisis programs and services to address the state's challenges by establishing a Unified Crisis Continuum (UCC) based upon a shared vision amongst participating state agencies. The Illinois Departments of: Children and Family Services (DCFS); Human Resources (DHS); Insurance (DOI); Public Health (DPH); and Healthcare and Family Services (HFS). Illinois effort is being led by the CBHO and supported by the Office of Medicaid Innovation.
Illinois' 12-month UCC goal is to utilize the learning collaborative structure and approach as the state's ongoing planning and management approach, consistent with Illinois' long-term goals.
I want to again express my gratitude for the strong leadership from the state agencies along with the Office of Medicaid Innovation participation in this collaborative. We collectively will reach out to various stakeholders to obtain your input into the process. There truly is nothing about us without us!
Opioid Settlement Funds Update
In collaboration with the Department of Human Services, the Office of the Attorney General, Substance Use Prevention and Recovery's Office of Opioid Settlement Administration and the Opioid Steering Committee, the Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board (IORAB) has begun the administration and distribution of the Opioid Settlement Remediation Funds. As per Executive Order 2022-19, the IORAB's role is to identify and make nonbinding recommendations to the Opioid Steering Committee. The IORAB's recommendations seek to ensure an equitable allocation of resources to all seven regions of the state, taking into consideration population as well as other factors relevant to opioid abatement, including rates of Opioid Use Disorder, overdose deaths, and amounts of opioids shipped into each region as measured in Morphine Milligram Equivalents.
To date, two IORAB recommendations have been approved by the Steering Committee:
- $3M to expand community intervention services for Opioid Treatment Providers (OTP).
- $5M for the Community Outreach and Recovery Support (CORS) model pilot. The CORS model promotes collaboration between Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery licensed providers and local stakeholders to develop outreach initiatives that address the needs of communities and families affected by OUDs. Outreach teams will engage people living with an OUD. The pilot will also allow OTPs to develop unique community services for at-risk populations and children, as well as special populations and those facing barriers to obtaining services.
Two IORAB recommendations will be presented at the next Steering Committee:
- $3.75M for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to upgrade the system to accommodate new provider participants.
- $4.5M for Access Narcan to fill a gap in state funding to ensure adequate naloxone supplies at hospitals and emergency rooms.
The IORAB is comprised of 16 appointed delegates representing all seven regions of the state, identified by the Attorney General's office and the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services with at least one half (1/2) of the voting members being representatives of the Participating Local Governments from the settlement. Please visit IDHS: Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board or information on meetings, ways the public can participate, and Notice of Funding Opportunities.
DMH Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) Success Program
Through the CRSS Success program, the Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health (DMH) awarded grants to 11 colleges and universities. These grants support individuals with lived experience of mental health or substance use recovery to obtain the Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) or Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) credential. Almost 200 students enrolled in the fall semester have begun on-site internships as of January 2023. DMH has dedicated $9.2 million to this program to build the behavioral health workforce and support the inclusion of people with lived experience in service delivery.
DMH has also been selected as the first in the nation to partner with Advocates for Human Potential (AHP) to provide virtual training for Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) facilitators. WRAP is a process for people in mental health recovery to incorporate key recovery concepts and wellness tools into their plans and life. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, DMH offered in-person WRAP facilitator training regularly, but these efforts have been on pause. DMH's Bureau of Wellness and Recovery staff are meeting with certified trainers to design the 36-hour virtual training. Lessons learned from Illinois' virtual WRAP facilitator training will support the implementation of virtual training sessions across the country.
Deflection and Pre-Arrest Diversion Summary
Illinois was one of four states chosen in a competitive process to participate in a 6-month learning collaborative for Deflection and Pre-arrest Diversion (DPAD) Initiatives. The Learning collaborative is supported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and in partnership with the Police, Treatment, and Community Collaborative (PTACC) and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center). This Learning Collaborative is a six-month-long opportunity designed to support states in the development and implementation of a sustainable state-level DPAD initiative addressing the needs of individuals with substance use disorders.
The Illinois team includes Deputy Governor Sol Flores, Chief Behavioral Health Officer David T. Jones, IDHS/SUPR Deputy Director of Planning, Performance Measurement, and Federal Programs Stephanie Frank, Acting Lieutenant of Investigative Support Command Brandon Grzechowiak from the Illinois State Police, Research Manager Jessica Reichert and Assistant Deputy Director Dr. Millicent Lewis-McCoy from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.
Illinois is excited for this opportunity to receive technical assistance in creating an action plan for sustaining and expanding the DPAD initiative across the state and receiving guidance for addressing social equity and racial disparities in the criminal legal system. We will use this opportunity to build on the momentum started by the current DAPD initiatives to develop a shared operational vision for Illinois. The learning collaborative will be a catalyst to convene and connect partners across the state to align and amplify a set of currently disconnected efforts.
This is a tremendous opportunity for Illinois and the multi-sector involvement will propel Illinois forward towards a sustainable and equity-oriented deflection model.
