An Illinois bill that aims to transform children's behavioral health in the state has been approved by the House Mental Health and Addiction Committee, according to an April 27 report from NBC affiliate WAND.
Senate Bill 724 seeks to develop an inter-agency youth services team that would provide new technology for referring families to resources, increase the ability to meet the demand for care and improve service coordination.
The bill could also address the workforce shortage among behavioral health providers treating children's mental health, substance use disorder and developmental disabilities across the state. It was passed unanimously by the committee April 27 and will advance to the House.
This bill follows the launch of Governor J.B. Pritzker's children's behavioral health initiative and the appointment of Dana Weiner, PhD, as the initiative's director.