Illinois Mental Health Task Force Action Plan:
A Continuous Call to Action
An Action Plan for Who?
The Illinois Mental Health Task Force Action Plan was approved by the Illinois Supreme Court, to serve as a guide for the Illinois Courts, communities, agencies, institutions, and organizations as together, we seek to improve the justice system response to individuals living with mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders.
This plan may also be useful for policy and decision makers to identify areas of opportunity at the intersection of justice and behavioral health systems
How to Use the Action Plan?
Illinois Mental Health Task Force Action Plan
While the Action Plan serves as an initial roadmap for improving the community, court, and justice system response to individuals living with mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders, it is not intended to be prescriptive or exhaustive.
In the absence of a rigid model and specific requirements, stakeholders are free to discover and develop innovative strategies to meet the needs of their communities and systems.
The recommendations can be used to formulate more specific goals, objectives, and responses that can be pursued by individual stakeholders and systems.
Cross-Sector collaboration is not only encouraged among stakeholders and systems but serves as the foundation of the Action Plan.
Action Plan Overview
WATCH: The Illinois Mental Health Task Force Action Plan Web Event
Courts are in a unique position to lead change by following the recommendations and using the resources developed by the
National Judicial Task Force to Examine State Courts’ Response to Mental Illness and the Illinois Mental Health Task Force Action Plan to bring communities together to communicate, collaborate, and improve public health and safety.
The Action Plan includes recommendations specific to the following activities and Intercepts:
- Courts as Conveners and Leaders
- Training Opportunities Across Intercepts
- Awareness Across Intercepts
- Intercepts Zero and One – Community Services and Law Enforcement
- Intercept Two – Initial Detention and Court Hearings
- Intercept Three – Jails/Courts
- Intercept Four – Reentry
- Intercept Five – Community Corrections
Technical Assistance
- Our Illinois Mental Health Task Force team facilitates virtual or in-person meetings between judges, mental or behavioral health providers, lawyers, and other stakeholders to identify and share information, resources, and evidence-based/best practices across the Sequential Intercept Model.
- The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, Statewide Behavioral Health Administrator provides technical assistance to support emerging or existing behavioral health and justice coordinating councils, task forces, and community coalitions.
- To request assistance, please email: sblock@illinoiscourts.gov
Events & Announcements
Regional Councils
To lead the Illinois change initiative, the Task Force chose to develop judicially led, multidisciplinary Regional Councils within each Illinois
Department of Human Services state hospital catchment area. The Regional Councils meet on a quarterly basis to identify and share information, resources, and gaps across the Sequential Intercept Model.
Regional Council
Region 1 Council
Region 1 Council and Resource Mapping Workshops -
Next Meeting Date: TBD Spring 2023
January – May 2022
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm
- Tuesday, January 25, 2022
- Tuesday, February 22, 2022
- Tuesday, March 29, 2022
- Tuesday, April 19, 2022
- Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Region 2 Council
Region 2 Council and Resource Mapping Workshops -
Next Meeting Date: TBD Spring 2023
Second Tuesday of the Month
January – May 2022
12:15 pm – 1:30 pm
- January 11, 2022
- February 8, 2022
- March 8, 2022
- April 12, 2022
- May 10, 2022
Region 3 Council
Region 3 Council and Resource Mapping Workshops -
Next Meeting Date: TBD Spring 2023
Third Wednesday of the Month
January – May 2022
12:15 pm – 1:30 pm
- January 19, 2022
- February 16, 2022
- March 16, 2022
- April 20, 2022
- May 25 at 12:15 PM
Region 4 Council
Region 4 Council and Resource Mapping Workshops -
Next Meeting Date: TBD Spring 2023
Second Wednesday of the Month
January – May 2022
12:15 pm – 1:30 pm
- January 12, 2022
- February 9, 2022
- March 9, 2022
- April 13, 2022
- May 11, 2022
Region 5 Council
Region 5 Council and Resource Mapping Workshops -
Next Meeting Date: TBD Spring 2023
Third Thursday of the Month
January – May 2022
12:15 pm – 1:30 pm
- January 20, 2022
- February 17, 2022
- March 17, 2022
- April 21, 2022
- May 19, 2022