CESSA - Training and Education Subcommittee Meeting - Approved Minutes 10/28/2025

Time: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Opening

Cindy Barbera-Bella, Chair, reviewed the OMA procedures, meeting logistics, and agenda.

Roll Call

Present: Tanya Thorne (Designee for David Albert), Rachael Ahart, Cindy Barbera-Brelle (Designee for Alicia Atkinson), Michelle Churchey-Mims (Designee for Blanca Campos), Jessica Gimeno (Designee for Candace Coleman), Danielle Albinger (Designee for Bobby Van Bebber)
Absent: Emily Miller
Meeting quorum established. The meeting was convened by Cindy Barbara-Brelle and was called to order at 10:35 am.

Approval of Minutes from August 26, 2025:

Michelle Churchy-Mims motioned to approve the minutes from August 26, 2025. Tanya Thorne seconded the motion.
Members/designees voted to approve: Tanya Thorne (Designee for David Albert), Cindy Barbera-Brelle (Designee for Alicia Atkinson), Michelle Churchey-Mims (Designee for Blanca Campos), Jessica Gimeno (Designee for Candace Coleman), Danielle Albinger (Designee for Bobby Van Bebber)
Members who abstained: Rachael Ahart
Motion carried.

Old Business:

Pilot Core Training Overview (Cindy Barbera-Brelle)

As of October 28, 2025: 2,047 staff at PSAPs, 988 or mobile crisis response teams (MCRTs) have taken Core Courses, and 7,219 pilot training courses have been offered.
As part of the Implementation, we will report on the percentage of individuals who have completed the trainings by agency type (PSAPs, MCRTs, and 988). The revised date to present that information is FY26 Quarter 3 for cohort 1.
Cumulative Number of Participants Attending Core Training (Dr. Terry Solomon)
- Unduplicated as of Oct 27, 2025
- The data indicate that we have more individuals completing the IL CESSA courses as we are at 2,046 individuals.
- For some rows, you will see a decrease. This is due to us cleaning the data. We noticed there are some duplications. Some agencies have multiple people using the same computer. If that first person didn't sign out, and a second person uses the same computer, the first person is recorded twice as taking the course, so we have to delete the second course that person took
Cumulative Number of Participants Attending Pilot Core Training by Provider (Dr. Terry Solomon)
- For the Illinois Emergency Crisis System at CESA, we had 2,046 individuals who took the course. Of that number, 692 were telecommunicators, 352 were 988 Crisis Counselors and 1002 were MCRTs. The other category represents individuals who provide their name, but they may not provide an agency type or agency name.
- Cindy Barbera-Brelle: Is it accurate to say that with the movement to a learning management system, you won't have the same issues with the next round of training?
- Dr. Terry Solomon: Yes. Each person who signs into the new system will have their unique account.

Implementation updates (Cindy Barbera-Brelle)

Total Response and Priority Dispatch

Total Response and Priority Dispatch
- Weekly and bi-weekly meetings continue
APCO
- Continued planning for first phase of implementation
- Protocols have been submitted to Vendor to update
Law Enforcement-only
- Information gathering
Total Response dataset includes data received by 10/1/2025
- 294 completed transfers to Centerstone
  - 232 resolved by Centerstone
  - 5 transferred to MCRT
  - 3 transferred back to 911
- 33 incomplete transfers to Centerstone
Priority Dispatch dataset includes data received by 10/1/2025
37 completed transfers to Centerstone
- 20 resolved by Centerstone
- 5 transferred to MCRT
- 3 transferred back to 911
7 incomplete transfers to Centerstone
Implementation Milestones
- We hared these milestones at SAC and PSTSC
- In Nov and Dec, we are looking at approving updated protocols and making sure that each PSAP has approval from their EMS Medical Director at their resource hospital
- PSAPs will update landscape survey, if needed
- PSAPs and MCRTs will complete CESSA required training
- Cohort 1 will go live with updated protocols ideally by December 2025
- Jan 2026-Jun 2027: Implementing average 22-23 PSAPs per cohort/quarter to meet statewide implementation
Members were shown a list of CESS implementation sites (PSAPs and their MCRT partner) for Cohort 1
- We are currently working with sites to digest information and answer questions

New Business:

Learning Management System (LMS) Demonstration and Discussion (Sarah Ferguson)

Highlights of demonstration

Highlights of demonstration
- Previewing course Illinois Emergency Crisis System and CESSA
- Using Reach360 from Articulate
- Allows supervisors to monitor staff training progress
- Each course includes training goals and estimates time to complete
- Courses require periodic knowledge checks
- Courses have an evaluation form, allowing opportunity to provide feedback and concerns
- Some trainings offer a continuing education unit (CEU) through Jane Addams College of Social Work
Discussion
- Tanya Thorne: When the course is completed, is there going to be an opportunity to print a certificate of achievement?
  - Sarah Ferguson: Yes, there will be an opportunity to download certificate upon completion immediately or to return to the course and download later.
- Phil McCarty (member of the public): Do I need to move my staff who have completed pilot training to the new LMS? Do we have a process to move from one agency to another in the LMS?
  - Terry Solomon: Yes, we want to move them but the Crisis Hub team will have a conversation about closing the current system down. We will give folks time to finish the courses and let people know when the system will be closed.
- Cindy Barbara-Brelle: Will individual progress be transferred to the new LMS?
  - Terry Solomon: Yes
- Cindy Barbara-Brelle: The Office of the Statewide 911 Administrator is also in the procurement process for an LMS, with the intent to bring Reach 360 to that platform. This will allow the training to follow people who move from one PSAP to another.
  - Sarah Ferguson: On our side, we would be able to move individuals from one PSAP group to another if they switch agencies.
  - Tanya Thorpe: That's something with MCRTs too; you might expect emails from providers where people move around.
- JKing [Public member in the chat]: You report unduplicated count of 7,000 plus. Are you indicating that people who take one type of CESSA course did not take the other courses?
  - Terry Solomon: This refers to the number of courses completed. You can interpret that to mean that everyone did not take all of the courses. IT also depends on provider type. In the table, you may have seen more 911 individuals who took a certain course compared to 988 and MCRTs. You can see everyone did not take that particular course.

CESSA Legislation Training Requirements (Dr. Terry Solomon)

According to CESSA amendment from August 2025, trainings on neurodivergence and involuntary commitment must be provided.
We request the Subcommittee modifying the approved training plans to be compliant with the newest CESSA amendment from August 2025. Changes include:
- Modifying existing training for people with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities to address neurodivergence as well
- Adding a new course on training for the involuntary commitment process
Also, the LMS limits the number of characters for training titles, so some titles were shortened for this purpose. The content remains the same; only the title has changed.
Tanya Thorpe: Recommend saying "substance use crises" instead of "substance use disorder crises" because you can experience a crisis without having a disorder. Also, list "respectful interactions" in the description of the course to conform with legislation.
- This feedback will be incorporated for all course titles for cohort 2 implementation
Proposed changes to MCRT training
- Previously approved: 6 courses from DBHR and 3 from HFS at 16 hours
- Proposed changes: 7 courses from DBHR and 3 from HFS at 17 hours
- Michelle Churchey-Mims motioned to approve the amended training plan for MCRT and Jessica Gimeno seconded the motion.
- Members/designees voted to approve: Tanya Thorne (Designee for David Albert), Rachael Ahart, Cindy Barbera-Brelle (Designee for Alicia Atkinson), Michelle Churchey-Mims (Designee for Blanca Campos), Jessica Gimeno (Designee for Candace Coleman), Danielle Albinger (Designee for Bobby Van Bebber)
Proposed changes to 911 PSAP Telecommunicators training
- Previously approved: 3 courses at ~3-4 hours
- Proposed changes: 4 courses at ~4 hours
- Jessica Gimeno motioned to approve the amended training plan for 911 telecommunicators and Michelle Churchey-Mims seconded the motion.
- Members/designees voted to approve: Tanya Thorne (Designee for David Albert), Rachael Ahart, Cindy Barbera-Brelle (Designee for Alicia Atkinson), Michelle Churchey-Mims (Designee for Blanca Campos), Jessica Gimeno (Designee for Candace Coleman), Danielle Albinger (Designee for Bobby Van Bebber)
Proposed changes to 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Counselor training
- Previously approved: 3 courses at ~5.5 hours
- Proposed changes: 4 courses at ~6 hours
- Jessica Gimeno motioned to approve the amended training plan for 988 crisis counselors and Michelle Churchey-Mims seconded the motion.
- Members/designees voted to approve: Tanya Thorne (Designee for David Albert), Rachael Ahart, Cindy Barbera-Brelle (Designee for Alicia Atkinson), Michelle Churchey-Mims (Designee for Blanca Campos), Jessica Gimeno (Designee for Candace Coleman), Danielle Albinger (Designee for Bobby Van Bebber)

Meeting Calendar (Cindy Barbera-Brelle)

November 25, 2025
December 16, 2025 (moved from December 23)
Future dates available on Open Meetings Act page

Public Comment

Phil McCarty: If the involuntary commitment training for a telecommunicator is not legislatively required, I am not sure that telecommunicators have a big role in that process.
- Terry Solomon: We want all providers to understand the work of the other parties. It is important for everyone to have general knowledge about how the system (involuntary commitment) works.

Adjournment

Michelle Churchey-Mims motioned to adjourn the meeting. Tanya Thorne seconded the motion.
Members/designees voted to approve: Tanya Thorne (Designee for David Albert), Rachael Ahart, Cindy Barbera-Brelle (Designee for Alicia Atkinson), Michelle Churchey-Mims (Designee for Blanca Campos), Jessica Gimeno (Designee for Candace Coleman), Danielle Albinger (Designee for Bobby Van Bebber)
Motion carried.
Meeting adjourned at 11:05 am.