Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has launched a plan to expand children's behavioral health services across the state, according to a Feb. 24 report from ABC7.
Mr. Pritzker asked for $22.8 million to fund and implement the Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative in his budget proposal this month. The funding would be used to implement a variety of recommendations for improving behavioral health services.
These recommendations include expanding eligibility for current programs, standardizing reimbursement service rates and offering behavioral health screenings in schools or healthcare settings to address children's behavioral health needs earlier.
Mr. Pritzker also signed an executive order that established a chief position to lead the initiative and appointed child welfare expert Dana Weiner, PhD, to the role.