Sims moves legislation to protect students and teachers from planned attacks

SPRINGFIELD—State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) moved legislation to establish the Safe 2 Help Program, a hotline designed to receive reports from the public regarding potential self-harm or criminal acts directed at schools, students or school employees.

“Our number one job is to protect our state’s most vulnerable populations,” said Sims. “This program was introduced to keep our children and schools safe while providing help to those who are battling mental illness.”

Senate Bill 3936, an initiative of Illinois State Police, would require the agency to work collaboratively with the Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Illinois State Board of Education and Department of Children and Family Services to provide support resources to students and teachers to prevent potential crisis situations.

“We cannot wait for another tragic event to happen in our schools,” said Sims. “This is a key step in the intervention process that will not only protect our students from planned attacks but will also help develop police-community relations.” 

Senate Bill 3936 passed the Senate Education Committee Tuesday and awaits further consideration.

Illinois’ youth are one step closer to receiving mental health education in the classroom

Springfield- Youth in Illinois are one step closer to receiving specialized education on mental health resources  after a measure championed by State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) passes a key hurdle.

“This measure addresses a critical gap in the support systems that we need to offer our youth to be able to remain emotionally well,” Simmons said. “Our youth have been so resilient during these past few years, but many of the broader issues amplified by the COVID-19  pandemic have put a severe strain on the mental health of our young people. It’s imperative that we prioritize the mental health and well-being of our young people and center the experiences they are voicing and actually living through.” 

Senate Bill 4028 would ensure that the curricula for elementary and secondary schools would be required to include how and where to find mental health resources in the state. The measure helps make students aware of mental health services that are available to them and helps erase the broader stigma behind mental health.

Read more: Illinois’ youth are one step closer to receiving mental health education in the classroom

Bush works to provide essential data to health departments to tackle opioid epidemic

SPRINGFIELD – To further reduce opioid abuse, State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) is leading a measure to give health departments access to necessary patient data for developing public health interventions regarding the ongoing epidemic.

“Thousands of people have been identified as high-risk for opioid addiction, but without access to that data, we are unable to offer them support or treatment programs,” Bush said. “Increasing access to this information simply allows public health professionals to help people before it is too late.”

The measure will allow authorized employees of the Illinois Department of Public Health and county and municipal health departments to access the Prescription Monitoring Program patient databases, which determines if patients may be at risk of opioid addiction. Under current legislation, this data is kept confidential unless shared with law enforcement. However, data on how many patients are at risk for opioid addiction is necessary for many local health departments to develop educational programs, analyze treatment gaps across regions, and even prepare for public health interventions.

Read more: Bush works to provide essential data to health departments to tackle opioid epidemic

Turner champions measure to honor fallen Illinois heroes’ families

SPRINGFIELD – To show support to families of our state’s fallen heroes, State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is championing a measure to ensure their next of kin is presented an Illinois state flag by military personnel.  

"This bill demonstrates our commitment to honoring those who have lost their lives while serving our great state,” Turner said. “This action is a fitting expression of our condolence and gratitude for a life of public service.”

Read more: Turner champions measure to honor fallen Illinois heroes’ families