(405 ILCS 150/15)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2025)

Sec. 15. Responsibilities; action plan.

(a) The Workgroup has the following responsibilities:

(1) to review existing information about the first year of 9-8-8 call center operations in Illinois, including, but not limited to, state-level and county-level use data, progress around the federal measures of success determined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and research conducted by any State-contracted partners around cost projections, best-practice standards, and geographic needs;

(2) to review other states' models and emerging best practices around structuring 9-8-8 call center networks, with an emphasis on promoting high-quality phone interventions, coordination with other crisis lines and crisis services, and connection to community-based support for those in need;

(3) to review governmental infrastructures created in other states to promote sustainability and quality in 9-8-8 call centers and crisis system operations;

(4) to review changes and new initiatives that have been advanced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Vibrant Emotional Health since Vibrant transitioned to 9-8-8 in July 2022, such as new training curricula for call takers and new technology platforms;

(5) to consider input from call center personnel, providers, and advocates about strengths, weaknesses, and service gaps in Illinois; and

(6) to develop an action plan with recommendations to the General Assembly that include the following:

(A) a future structure for a network of 9-8-8 call centers in Illinois that will best promote equity, quality, and connection to care;

(B) metrics that Illinois should use to measure the success of our statewide system in promoting equity, quality, and connection to care and a system to measure those metrics, considering the metrics imposed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as only a starting point for measurement of success in Illinois;

(C) recommendations to further fund and strengthen the rest of Illinois' behavioral health services and crisis assistance programs based on lessons learned from 9-8-8 use; and

(D) recommendations on a long-term governmental infrastructure to provide advice and recommendations necessary to sustainably implement and monitor the progress of the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in Illinois and to make recommendations for the statewide improvement of behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services in the State.

The action plan shall be approved by a majority of Workgroup members.

(b) Nothing in the action plan filed under this Section shall be construed to supersede the recommendations of the Statewide Advisory Committee or Regional Advisory Committees created by the Community Emergency Services and Support Act.

(Source: P.A. 103-105, eff. 6-27-23.)