SPRINGFIELD (WIFR) – Illinois leaders and mental health advocates hold a roundtable conference to discuss upcoming improvements to mental health services.

On Wednesday, Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative hosted state leaders in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. The meeting, held during Mental Health Awareness Month, reviewed state initiatives supporting mental health services and celebrated graduates of the Certified Recovery Support Specialist program.

In 2022, Governor JB Pritzker launched the Transformation Initiative allowing Illinois youth access to mental health services. During the meeting, the transformation team highlighted its work with the BEACON portal, a one-stop online resource connecting families to publicly funded mental health services. The BEACON initiative is set to launch this summer.

Leaders also discussed the Mental Health Bill of Rights, a set of goals that looks to ensure all Illinoisans have access to trauma-informed, evidence-based care if they need it.

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Transformation Initiative collaborated on a Spotify playlist with songs from Illinois mental health advocates. Listeners learning to manage their stress are encouraged to tune in and remember to be AWESOME.

• Attention: Tune into your breath

• Watch: Notice your thoughts

• Embrace: Stay in the present moment

• Sense: Savor sights, sounds, or tastes

• Observe: Notice your surroundings

• Move: Stretch or exercise your body

• Experience: Get outside in nature

Interested listeners can tune in here.

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