Behavioral Health Committee's Purpose

1. Facilitate collaboration among behavioral health providers to share insights, experiences, and emerging best practices.

2. Identify industry challenges and develop collective solutions to strengthen service delivery and expand access to care.

3. Discuss strategy to improve the behavioral health landscape in Illinois.

Purpose Current Initiatives

• Address the Workforce Shortage

CBHA continues to engage with legislators, state departments, industry partners, and other stakeholders to reduce the critical shortage of behavioral health providers in Illinois.

• Improve Crisis Care Delivery

CBHA created the newly-renamed Unified Crisis Continuum Workgroup to provide recommendations to expand access to high-quality crisis care.

• Streamline Behavioral Health Licensure

Each year CBHA files legislation to modernize and streamline licensure processes for behavioral health professionals at all levels. CBHA filed legislation (HB 1365) in 2025 to establish pending licenses for behavioral health professionals and eliminate the burdens of licensure delays at IDFPR.

• Expand the Peer Workforce

CBHA filed legislation (HB 3667) in 2025 to lower the minimum age to become a peer worker from 21-years-old to 18-years-old.

Behavioral Health Committee Meetings

CBHA’s Behavioral Health Committee meets quarterly. These meetings are open to CBHA Members only. To access the member-only Behavioral Health Committee with a directory and feature to chat with peers, login here.

Please submit agenda topics to Blanca Campos.