Bill

Bill > HB3440


IL HB3440

IL HB3440
MENTAL HLTH-KIDS-BEACON


summary

Introduced
02/07/2025
In Committee
04/11/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

Potential new amendment
104th General Assembly

Bill Summary

Amends the Interagency Children's Behavioral Health Services Act. Requires the Department of Human Services, in coordination with a statewide association representing a majority of hospitals, to establish and offer a voluntary training that will be recorded and made available on the Department's website to all hospital social workers, clinicians, and administrative staff to inform them of BEACON, a centralized resource for Illinois youth and families seeking services for behavioral health needs, with the goal of encouraging families to seek assistance through BEACON and the Interagency Children's Behavioral Health Services Team. Provides that the training shall include how families and hospital staff can access BEACON, the process once a case is entered into BEACON, and State and community programs accessible through BEACON. Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires a psychiatric hospital to contact a youth or the youth's parents, guardian, or caregiver about the BEACON portal (rather than the Family Support Program and the Specialized Family Support Program) prior to referring the youth to the Department of Children and Family Services because the youth was left at the psychiatric hospital beyond medical necessity. Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Team in the Office of the Governor and relevant stakeholders, to report its work and make available resource materials, including model policies and guidance informed by a phased approach to implementing universal mental health screening in schools. Requires the State Board of Education to report its work by September 1, 2026. Provides that mental health screenings shall be offered by school districts to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12, at least once a year, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year.

AI Summary

This bill addresses mental health services and screenings for children and youth in Illinois across multiple areas. Specifically, the bill requires the State Board of Education to develop and implement a universal mental health screening program for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, with screenings to begin in the 2027-2028 school year. The board must create resource materials, including model policies that address privacy, confidentiality, family communication, and data handling. The bill also modifies requirements for psychiatric hospitals, mandating that they now contact families about the BEACON portal (a centralized resource for youth behavioral health services) before referring a youth to the Department of Children and Family Services. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Human Services, in coordination with hospital associations, to develop a voluntary training for hospital staff about BEACON, which will be recorded and made available online. The goal is to encourage families to seek behavioral health assistance through BEACON and improve access to mental health support for children and youth in Illinois.

Committee Categories

Health and Social Services

Sponsors (2)

Last Action

House Floor Amendment No. 2 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee (on 04/11/2025)

bill text


bill summary

Loading...

bill summary

Loading...
Loading...