Mental health emergency co-responder program comes amid Illinois labor shortage

[May 12, 2022] By Andrew Hensel | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – A $10 million pilot program signed into law this week requires social services and police officers in certain jurisdictions to work together to better handle situations like mental health emergencies. The legislation comes during a statewide mental health professional shortage.

House Bill 4736 creates the Co-Responders Pilot Program to have police in certain parts of the state begin a joint effort with multiple social service agencies. Peoria, Springfield, East St. Louis and Waukegan will all be participating in the pilot program.

The pilot program signed into law Tuesday comes amid a state wide mental health professional worker shortage.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health-related visits are up by 24% for children ages 5 to 11 since 2020 when the pandemic started, while visits by children ages 12 to 17 have gone up 31%.

While the number of mental health-related issues are increasing in Illinois, the number of health care professionals has seen a dramatic decline, according to state Sen. Laura Fine, D-Glenview.

Fine spoke about the crisis during a Senate Health Committee hearing in April.

"We are in a behavioral health workforce crisis," Fine said. "Inpatient facilities will tell you that even though they have empty beds, they can't fill those beds because they don't have the qualified professionals to work with those patients."

Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks at an event in Palatine on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Courtesy of BlueRoomStream

After signing the co-responder program Tuesday, Pritzker was asked about the shortage. He said the state is making investments in the industry to address the issue.

"We recognize that there is a shortage of healthcare professionals and mental health professionals," Pritzker said. "We are going to be investing in scholarship programs and will be encouraging people to go into the field."

The social workers in the program will attend calls alongside a police officer with the hopes that that social worker will be able to spot mental health-related issues and determine if the person is having a mental health crisis.

Another step the state is taking to address the shortage is Senate Bill 3617, which would make it easier for out-of-state workers to get certified in Illinois. The legislation, sponsored by Fine, awaits action by the governor.

"We are also doing things to attract other workers from other states," Pritzker said. "Not to leave anyone else without professionals in those states, but we also know there are some great opportunities we have to offer."

The state's budget the governor approved last month allocates $10 million of taxpayer funds for the implementation of the pilot program. The fiscal year begins July 1. The cities part of the program will have up to six months to establish programs within their communities.

Andrew Hensel has years of experience as a reporter and pre-game host for the Joliet Slammers, and as a producer for the Windy City Bulls. A graduate of Iowa Wesleyan University and Illinois Media School, Andrew lives in the south suburbs of Chicago.