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According to the Illinois Department of Health and Human
Services, Illinois has 13.8 behavioral health care professionals
for every 10,000 residents, leading lawmakers to seek a solution
to what they said is a severe shortage.
The meeting is one of two scheduled for health officials and the
committee. In the first hearing, lawmakers heard from those in
the community about their struggles due to the shortage.
State Rep. Lindsey Lapointe said the shortage is a severe
problem for the state.
"In my humble opinion, the behavioral healthcare workforce
shortage is truly one of the biggest issues facing the state of
Illinois," Lapointe said. "When I say behavioral health, I mean
mental health, addiction, recovery, and trauma support that so
many across Illinois desperately need."
Dr. Sonja Leathers of Behavioral Health Workforce Center spoke
with lawmakers and said the amount of Illinoisans dealing with
these issues is growing.
"Illinois has experienced an alarming increase in behavioral
health needs," Leathers said. "Over a quarter of adults in
Illinois reported significant symptoms of anxiety or depressive
disorder in 2023."
Dr. Kari Wolf of Behavioral Health Workforce Center said the
problem needs to be fixed by recruiting and retaining qualified
workers.
"We are focused on development and training initiatives to
increase retention of behavioral health providers and improve
the quality of care throughout the system," Wolf said.
The second committee meeting is scheduled for Feb. 23.
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