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It's called BEACON,
which stands for Behavioral Health Care and Ongoing Navigation.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said parents and caregivers can now go online
and learn which community-based resources are available nearby
and which state-funded programs youth may be eligible for.
“There’s so much stigma around this issue and for some people,
the easiest way to start knowing you need to find help is to go
online and get help without interacting with anybody up front
and then ease your way into it,” said Pritzker. “This will be an
enormous assistance to those families.”
The platform had a soft launch in the fall of 2024 and has been
utilized by state agency representatives, physicians, mental
health practitioners, and school personnel, who have offered
real-time input to shape, refine and improve the service.
Parents and caregivers have the option of sharing information
about their child’s situation and needs if they wish. All
information is strictly confidential in accordance with privacy
and data security rules and regulations.
The portal also provides access to Parent Navigators who can
provide further assistance, particularly in connecting families
to school-based services.
Cases that are open in BEACON will remain open until a child has
been connected to an appropriate resource and officials say the
parent or caregiver will remain informed at each step along the
way.
“By giving parents and caregivers a single place to access
information and assistance for youth mental and behavioral
health problems, we are empowering families to meet their own
needs in their own communities,” said Dana Weiner, chief officer
for Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative.
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