Mental Health Act Children

(405 ILCS 49/5)
Sec. 5. Children's Mental Health Plan.
(a) The State of Illinois shall develop a Children's Mental Health Plan containing short-term and long-term recommendations to provide comprehensive, coordinated mental health prevention, early intervention, and treatment services for children from birth through age 18. This Plan shall include but not be limited to:
(1) Coordinated provider services and interagency

(2) Guidelines for incorporating social and emotional

development into school learning standards and educational programs, pursuant to Section 15 of this Act.

(3) Protocols for implementing screening and

assessment of children prior to any admission to an inpatient hospital for psychiatric services, pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 5-5.23 of the Illinois Public Aid Code.

(4) Recommendations regarding a State budget for

children's mental health prevention, early intervention, and treatment across all State agencies.

(5) Recommendations for State and local mechanisms

for integrating federal, State, and local funding sources for children's mental health.

(6) Recommendations for building a qualified and

adequately trained workforce prepared to provide mental health services for children from birth through age 18 and their families.

(7) Recommendations for facilitating research on best

practices and model programs, and dissemination of this information to Illinois policymakers, practitioners, and the general public through training, technical assistance, and educational materials.

(8) Recommendations for a comprehensive,

multi-faceted public awareness campaign to reduce the stigma of mental illness and educate families, the general public, and other key audiences about the benefits of children's social and emotional development, and how to access services.

(9) Recommendations for creating a quality-driven

children's mental health system with shared accountability among key State agencies and programs that conducts ongoing needs assessments, uses outcome indicators and benchmarks to measure progress, and implements quality data tracking and reporting systems.