Проект по улучшению психического здоровья в Иллинойсе превзошел ожидания в первый год

Illinois behavioral health project judged to have exceeded expectations Published 11:18 am Thursday, September 3, 2026 WASHINGTON — A project aimed at improving behavioral health services throughout Illinois surpassed expectations during its first year, according to a new report from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the National Association of State Mental Health Directors, and the Illinois Department of Human Services. The Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Transformation Project, known as CCBHC-T, has strengthened support for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics across the state, integrated mental health and substance use treatment at those clinics, and begun addressing a shortage of behavioral health workers by offering incentives for clinicians to pursue licensure. The project has also built systems intended to sustain and expand the clinic model over the long term. Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, or CCBHCs, are a federally designated model of care that expands the scope of mental health and substance use services available to patients regardless of their ability to pay. The clinics are designed to improve access to mental health care, substance use treatment, recovery support, crisis services, and integrated care, eliminating many of the barriers that have historically limited access to behavioral health treatment. “Illinois is on a stable, sustainable path to establish a behavioral health infrastructure that will serve people meaningfully for years to come,” said Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. “People throughout the state will benefit from the important work that’s been accomplished in the first year of the program.” The project is funded by Ballmer Group, a philanthropic organization, and provides technical assistance to states and clinics working to expand the CCBHC model. Dr. Inger Burnett-Zeigler, chief behavioral health officer for the Illinois Department of Human Services, said one of the initiative’s greatest strengths has been its ability to bring together state leaders, providers, and behavioral health experts around a shared vision for expanding access to care. She said combining a thorough assessment of behavioral health access with hands-on collaboration and strategic planning has helped Illinois identify solutions tailored to the needs of its communities. The report follows the National Council’s 2026 CCBHC Impact Report, a national survey that found an estimated 3.4 million people received care at the nation’s 539 certified clinics in 2025, an increase of nearly 13% compared to January 2024. In Illinois specifically, the project enrolled 37 clinics and more than 300 behavioral health professionals in a Workforce Accelerator Program designed to increase the number of licensed and credentialed clinicians working in the state’s CCBHCs and mental health crisis response settings. The initiative also added two state-level employees to help advance the program’s implementation and launched multiple efforts aimed at improving care coordination for individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use needs. Looking ahead, organizers said the project’s second year will focus on further improving access to care, expanding the behavioral health workforce, and identifying options to ensure the long-term financial stability of the state’s certified clinics. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, founded in 1969, is a membership organization representing more than 3,200 mental health and substance use treatment organizations nationwide. Through its Mental Health First Aid program, the organization has trained more than 5 million people in the United States to identify and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges.