(405 ILCS 160/5)

Sec. 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:

(1) 1,440 Illinois residents died from suicide in 2021, up from 1,358 in 2020 or a 6% increase.

(2) An estimated 110,000 Illinois adults struggle with schizophrenia, and 220,000 with bipolar disorder.

(3) 3,013 Illinois residents died due to opioid overdose in 2021, a 2.3% increase from 2020 and a 35.8% increase from 2019.

(4) Too many people are experiencing suicidal crises, and mental health or substance use-related distress without the support and care they need, and the pandemic has amplified these challenges for children and adults.

(5) On July 16, 2022, the U.S. transitioned the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to 9-8-8, an easy-to-remember 3-digit number for 24/7 behavioral health crisis care.

(6) The ultimate goal of the 9-8-8 crisis response system is to reduce the over-reliance on 9-1-1 and law enforcement response to suicide, mental health, or substance use crises, so that every Illinoisan is ensured appropriate and supportive assistance from trained mental health professionals during his or her time of need.

(7) The 3 interdependent pillars of the 9-8-8 crisis response system include someone to call (Lifeline Call Centers), someone to respond (Mobile Crisis Response Teams), and somewhere to go (crisis receiving and stabilization centers).

(8) The transition to 9-8-8 provides a historic opportunity to strengthen and transform the way behavioral health crises are treated in Illinois and moves us away from criminalizing mental health and substance use disorders and treating them as health issues.

(9) Having a range of mobile crisis response options has the potential to save lives.

(10) Individuals who interact with the 9-8-8 crisis response system should receive follow-up and be connected to local mental health and substance use resources and other community supports.

(11) Transforming the Illinois behavioral health crisis response system will require long-term structural changes and investments. These include strengthening core behavioral health crisis care services, ensuring rapid post-crisis access, increasing coordination across systems and State agencies, enhancing the behavioral health crisis care workforce, and establishing sustainable funding from various streams for all dimensions of the crisis response system.

(Source: P.A. 103-337, eff. 7-28-23.)