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Governor Pritzker launches initiative to improve behavioral health services for children


CHICAGO – Governor Pritzker announced the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative to evaluate and redesign the delivery of behavioral health services for children and adolescents in the State of Illinois. The Governor tasked the Initiative with building a coordinated, inter-agency approach to ensure young people with behavioral health needs receive the services they need to thrive. Statewide, approximately 17,800 students ages 3-21 are eligible for special education services under the eligibility of emotional disability.
“I’m launching the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative to evaluate and redesign the systems that support our most vulnerable kids and adolescents – so that down the line, Illinois families will be better able to access holistic, wraparound support for children in need,” said Governor JB Pritzker.
The Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative will examine:
• Needs of children requiring behavioral health services
• Allocation of resources to meet needs within existing programs
• Pathways for accessing needed services
• Eligibility requirements for levels of care
• Decision-making practices for allocation of resources
• Alignment of policies, rules, regulations to support transparent, efficient, and effective service delivery
• Barriers to effective interagency coordination
• Infrastructure needs to support new pathways and existing programs
• Best practices from other comparable child-serving systems across the country
19,000 students with disabilities have a behavior intervention plan included in their individualized education plan. 100,000+ students with disabilities receive social work, psychological, or counseling services. 22,000 youth are currently being served by DCFS. DHFS and Medicaid MCOs provide mental health services to over 150,000 youth.

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