(Springfield, IL) – As Governor Bruce Rauner’s Administration embarks on a “transformation” of the state’s of health and human services programs, Illinois’ top behavioral health care advocates will roll out the first of three mental health policy forums at the end of August that will aim to help shape state policies.

The Community Behavioral Healthcare Association (CBHA), the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF), and the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health (IABH), in partnership with the Behavioral Health + Economics Network (BHECON) led by the National Council for Behavioral Health, will host the first of the series of behavioral health forums on August 30 in Normal.

“The state’s planned ‘transformation’ of Illinois’ health care system prioritizes behavioral health services, which promote overall health and lower health costs,” said IABH CEO Sara Moscato Howe. “The state’s effort will align with our behavioral health policy forums, forums that we expect will provide a platform to help shape’s the Administration’s policies going forward.”

The August 30 forum in Normal, “Illinois Behavioral Health Pre-Transformation: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going?,” will provide a scan of the current system in Illinois. Presenters will discuss Illinois’ current system of care along with future considerations, such as:

• Range of treatment options and care settings for individuals with acute, chronic and mild needs;
• Specialized services available to children and adolescents;
• Services for co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders;
• Financing and payment reforms; and
• Policy reforms that ensure individuals access to care at all stages, including prevention and early intervention.

Speakers from a diverse array of industries will also discuss creative approaches to integrating care, the impact and cost savings of a housing-first approach, how early intervention and prevention programs could be implemented across the state, and how available resources drive capacity, according to Howe.

“In Illinois, the burden of untreated mental health conditions and lack of access to substance use prevention and treatment falls on hospital emergency departments, jails, prisons, child welfare systems, schools, communities, and families,” said Howe. “That burden and the policy solutions will be the centerpiece of the forum series.”

This initial forum is expected to lead discussion towards fundamental questions:

• What is our vision for a comprehensive, high-performing delivery system in Illinois?
• Where are current gaps in care that create poor health outcomes and increase expenditures in the system?

The next planned forum in Normal will be on October 6.

“Throughout the three forums, participants will hear from experienced executives and clinicians from community clinics, state agency representatives, legislators, and educators,” said Howe. “They will share innovative approaches to address the continuum of care and share data from economic research on the impact of community-based care.”

The date of the third forum in Normal remains to be determined.

sara@ilabh.org