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Monthly NEWSLETTER

March 2023

ACMHAI Representation at National Legislative and Policy Conferences

ACMHAI President, Lynn Canfield, Executive Director of the Champaign County Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Boards, attended the February 13-15th Legislative and Policy Conferences of National Association of Counties (NACo) and National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD) in Washington, DC.

As NACBHDD’s liaison to the NACo Health Policy Steering Committee, Vice Chair of its Behavioral Health Subcommittee, and member of the NACo Healthy Counties Advisory Board, Lynn participated in related meetings and attended all sessions of the NACBHDD board meeting and conference.

To review Lynn's summary notes, click here.

2023 Legislative Priorities

The ACMHAI legislative committee is co-chaired by Jason Holcomb, Executive Director of the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board and Cheryl Potts, Executive Director of the Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township. The legislative committee meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month during session.

During the February meeting, the committee reviewed recently introduced bills and discussed/assigned positions. The committee is currently tracking 80 bills (House Bills: 52) (Senate Bills: 27) (Other Bills: 1). The legislative committee also updated the ACMHAI 2023 legislative priorities as follows:

Protect funding to support community mental health services.
Protect the intent of the Community Mental Health Act.
Expand Medicaid funding for people who are on the PUNS list.
Support all Suicide Prevention efforts, especially those in school settings.
Continue to advocate for measures which address workforce development to ensure adequate staffing in community mental health and I/DD organizations.
Monitor the implementation of the Community Emergency Services and Support Act. Public Act 102-580.
Monitor the state-wide implementation of 988 and subsequent changes to the crisis response system for adults. Advocate for increased funding for local communities relative to new system requirements.
Monitor the implementation of Illinois’ Pathways model and changes to the crisis response system for children.
Promote the state or federal increase of funding for school-based mental health.
Support community awareness and prevention education around harm reduction strategies for opioid use/substance use disorders.

To download a copy of the legislative priorities, click here.

The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for March 21 at 9am. To join the meeting, click here.

Upcoming March Session Days

Wednesday, March 15 – House Session
Thursday, March 16– House Session
Tuesday, March 21– House & Senate Session at Noon
Wednesday, March 22 – House & Senate Session
Thursday, March 23 – House & Senate Session
Friday, March 24 – House & Senate Session; House 3^rd Reading Deadline

All deadlines are for substantive (non-appropriation) bills only. The Senate President or the Speaker of the House may extend any deadline on any bill or groups of bills.

Membership Meetings - Register Today!

The ACMHAI April Membership Meetings will be held on April 13 and 14, 2023. The meetings will be held at the Wyndam City Centre Hotel located at 700 E. Adams Street, Springfield, IL.

The Best Practice Training will focus on Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) & the

Morass that is the Illinois Property Tax System by Maurice Scholten, Legislative Director of the Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois.

There are a number of government officials who are involved in the property tax process, from the local city council and school district board to the Department of Revenue, as well as some lesser known entities, such as the Board of Review. This session will focus on the mental health board tax rate as well as everbodv's role in the process from voting on a levy ordinance to sending out the property tax bill. We will also focus on PTELL and where it fits into the process. And discuss what PTELL was meant to do, and what it does, intended or unintended. Download the registration flyer, here.

Click here to register online.

Hotel Information: The ACMHAI group room rate is $129.00/night for a King or 2 Queen size room. Members should book their hotel room directly with the hotel. More information or to book your hotel room online, click here.

Community Reports: If your organization would like to submit a brief (1-2 paragraph) written report for inclusion in the membership meeting materials, please email the report to Jodi at jdart@acmhai.org by March 29th.

Welcome to new ACMHAI Member!

We are pleased to announce the recent addition of a new ACMHAI member:

Lisle Township Mental Health Board

ACMHAI Committee Meetings

Legislative Committee: March 21 at 9:00 am
Children's Behavioral Health: March 23 at 10:00 am
Membership Committee: April 25 at 10:00 am
I/DD Committee: May 9 at 10:00 am
Medicaid Committee: TBD

CoP Crisis Response Monthly Discussion Group

Monday, March 20th at 12:00 pm

Visit our Events Calendar

Committee Shared Folders

All standing committees have a shared folder for members to easily access materials such as meeting agendas and notes in preparation for each committee meeting. Below are links to each of the committees shared folders:

Children's Behavioral Health

Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities

Legislative

Membership