Over the past 15 years, ICMHP has made significant progress in improving children’s mental health through collective efforts such as reducing sigma, numerous educational publications, identification of service descriptors, early childhood mental health consultation, implementation of the Illinois Social and Emotional Standards, statewide expansion of Screening Assessment and Support Services (SASS) Program, and community-based linkage to services.
ANnual Reports
Each year, we release the ICMHP Annual Report to the Governor, providing an overview on the current state of Illinois children’s mental health and making recommendations for the next year.
View Our Annual Reports
Committees
Our committees are focused on early childhood, school age, transitional age, juvenile justice and data & systems.
View Our Committees
Meetings
Our appointed members and committees are committed to driving our work forward.
View Our Meetings
Youth Council
Community-Based Organization leaders and youth council partners.
Our Youth CouncilWhat We Have Accomplished
Over the past 15 years, we have made progress in improving children’s mental health through collective efforts such as:
Raising awareness through the Say It Out Loud Campaign has helped reduce stigma and empower children and families to talk about mental health.
Numerous publications such as the Juvenile Justice System: A Guide for Families in Illinois, the Residential Treatment Handbook, the Reflective Practice Guide, and Guidelines for School and Community Partnerships, help educate parents and offer recommendations for building and strengthening policies and practices.
Identification of service descriptors to support the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ work to add home and community services to the Medicaid-funded service array.
Early childhood mental health consultation has increased the capacity of home visiting programs to identify and address mental health concerns.
Implementation of the Illinois Social and Emotional Standards has improved students’ capacities to manage their emotions and resolve conflicts, resulting in improved academic success.
Community-based linkage to services for youth discharged from correctional facilities has reduced rates of recidivism.
Statewide expansion of Screening Assessment and Support Services (SASS) Program has reduced psychiatric hospitalizations for youth in crisis by providing effective and timely linkages with community-based services.
These accomplishments reflect the power of public/private collaboration and movement towards a more comprehensive approach to children’s mental health in Illinois. For more information about ICMHP’s past and present work, we encourage you to review ICMHP’s Annual Reports to the Governor or check our committees.