CHICAGO – Concerned about the lack of resources for youth residential mental health services, State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) led a joint hearing Wednesday with the Senator Behavioral and Mental Health Committee and the House Mental Health and Addiction Committee.

“The resources available for residential and inpatient mental health services for children across Illinois are severely lacking,” Senator Fine said. “This has been a crisis for a long time, but the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have put it in the spotlight.”

Children are suffering even more due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and there are not enough in-patient and residential beds for Illinois youth, especially for those on Medicaid. Committee members and panelists discussed solutions to expand access to behavioral and mental health care while addressing the funding gap in our system.  

The joint hearing included testimony from advocates representing Rosecrance Health Network, Advocate Children’s Hospital, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chasing Hope Foundation, Illinois Collaboration on Youth, Illinois Probation and Court Services Association, Community and Residential Services Authority and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

“Children should be able to receive appropriate mental and behavioral health treatment without having to go far from home or stay in a hospital unnecessarily,” Senator Fine said. “We can and must do better by increasing our mental health workforce so children can be placed appropriately and get the right care at the right time.”  

Committee proceedings are streamed live and can be viewed at ILGA.gov.