Behavioral health advocates joined Gov. JB Pritzker in Springfield on Wednesday to discuss ongoing efforts to transform services in the state. [ Health News Illinois]

Those developments include an online portal set to launch this summer to connect families to publicly funded mental health services. Work is also being done on a “Mental Health Bill of Rights” to establish goals so all Illinoisans can access care.

“Our goal has always been to make Illinois the best state in the nation to raise a family,” Pritzker said after the event. “That’s why my administration is working to improve our statewide mental and behavioral health infrastructure for people of all ages."

The Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative, launched in 2022 to improve access to mental health services for kids, convened the roundtable.

Initiative Director Dr. Dana Weiner said they continue to look to remove roadblocks so families have the “tools to find the help they need.”

Officials also noted success with a state program that provides trained peer support to individuals recovering from mental health and substance use disorders. 

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