The Association of Community Mental Health Authorities of Illinois

Welcome to The Association of Community Mental Health Authorities of Illinois

ACMHAI exists today to increase the capacity of individual community mental health systems by strengthening and developing local mental health authorities. It does this in the following ways:

Improving the development and delivery of comprehensive mental health services and facilities for persons with mental disabilities.
Promoting the exchange of information.
Developing a unified state-wide voice.
Fostering cooperation with other private and public mental health organizations.
Initiating and influencing policy reform.
Assisting in the passage of additional referenda and resolutions.

Announcements and Upcoming Events

BEST WISHES FOR A JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We will be updating the ACMHAI website over the next few weeks to provide additional announcements and events in 2012. We will also be sharing new resources and information. So please check back in 2012.

REMINDER: Illinois Public Act 97-0439, an amendment to the Community Mental Health Act, requires counties and Cook County Townships with no local mental health authorities to form mental health advisory committees comprised of seven community stakeholders by the end of December 2011. The mental health advisory committees are charged with identifying and assessing current mental health services, monitoring the expansion or contraction of thsoe services and, if necessary, recommending additional needed services.

ACHMAI welcomes Phyllis Russell as the Association's new Executive Director. Phyllis brings to the Association extensive experience in human services, community systems of service, public policy, legislative advocacy and association management. Most of her career has been in Illinois, where she has worked in communities from Rockford to Chicago to Springfield and Metro East (the Illinois portion of the St. Louis metro region). Phyllis joined ACMHAI December 1. She looks forward to traveling across the state in 2012 visiting ACMHAI members to introduce herself and learn about the issues, initiatives, challenges and opportunities in their communities.

April 17-19, 2012

Save the Dates for the ACMHAI Spring Legislative Conference in Springfield!

Call 217-369-5168 or email phyllis@acmhai.org for registration and room block information for this event or for other information.

ACMHAI Position on State Facility Closures

ACMHAI Recommendations for Coordinated Care (July 2, 2011)

The Children’s Mental Health Committee of the Association of Community Mental Health Authorities of Illinois (ACMHAI) is committed to the expansion of community-based public mental health services for children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances (SED). In collaboration with other partner organizations, it is our intent to explore how the expansion of Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) and Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waivers could have a significant impact on community-based service capacity and efficacy for children and families in Illinois.

Read ACMHAI’s position on EPSDT here.To learn more about EPSDT and home/community based services for children, check out these links from NAMI and the Bazelon Center. If you are interested in working with us on this initiative, please email acmhai@shout.net.

ACMHAI Position on State Facility Closures

ACMHAI Comments on Coordinated Care in IL

NAMI Family Guide

Using Home-Based Programs in Other States to Support a
Medicaid...

Teaming Up

Using Medicaid to Obtain Intensive Home-Based Services...

Evaluating the Need for Home-Based Services for Children

ACMHAI Newsletters

Fall 2011
June 2011	October 2008
February 2011	May 2008
Fall 2010	Feb 2008
Spring/Summer 2010	Sept 2007
Winter 2010	May 2007
June 2009	Jan 2007
Winter 2009	Sept 2006
October 2009	May 2006