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Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership
The Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership was created as a result of the Children’s Mental Health Act of 2003. Its mission is to develop and monitor the implementation of the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Plan containing short-term and long-term recommendations to provide comprehensive, coordinated mental health prevention, early intervention, and treatment services for children from birth through age 18.
The Partnership is comprised of appointed members, a management team, staff, and volunteer committee and work group members who work to advance the key priorities identified in the Strategic Plan for Children's Mental Health. Its appointed board consists of the following members (or their designees):
- the Governor
- the Attorney General
- the Secretary of the Department of Human Services
- the State Superintendent of Education
- the Director of the Department of Children and Family Services
- the Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services
- the Director of the Department of Public Health
- the Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice
- the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development
- the Director of the Criminal Justice Information Authority
- one member of the General Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the House
- one member of the General Assembly appointed by the President of the Senate
- one member of the General Assembly appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate
- one member of the General Assembly appointed by the Minority Leader of the House
- Up to 25 representatives from the public reflecting a diversity of age, gender identity, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic location, to be appointed by the Governor. Those public members appointed under this paragraph must include, but are not limited to: (A) a family member or individual with lived experience in the children's mental health system; (B) a child advocate; (C) a community mental health expert, practitioner, or provider; (D) a representative of a statewide association representing a majority of hospitals in the State; (E) an early childhood expert or practitioner; (F) a representative from the K-12 school system; (G) a representative from the healthcare sector; (H) a substance use prevention expert or practitioner, or a representative of a statewide association representing community-based mental health substance use disorder treatment providers in the State; (I) a violence prevention expert or practitioner; (J) a representative from the juvenile justice system; (K) a school social worker; and (L) a representative of a statewide organization representing pediatricians.
Two co-chairs are appointed by the Governor, one being a representative from the public and one being a representative from the State. IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra currently serves as co-chair.