(The Center Square) – Two Illinois General Assembly committees came together Monday to hear testimony on the strides being made to address behavioral health treatment.
The House Mental Health and Addiction Committee met jointly with the Senate Behavioral Mental Health Committee for a subject matter hearing.
Much of the hearing focused on opioid settlement funds and the treatment of opioid addiction. State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, said progress is being made.
“Numbers show we are reducing overdose deaths in the ballpark of 10%, 15%, which is really compelling,” said LaPointe.
State Rep. Bill Hauter, R-Morton, who is a doctor, said he fears mandating some opioid treatment options in emergency rooms in Illinois may be doomed to failure and a waste of money.
“We’ve been directed to prescribe naloxone for some time now, but I find so many people don’t want it, won’t fill it out, don’t have the money for it and are not interested,” said Harter.
Illinois expects to receive about $760 million from a $26 billion national settlement with three opioid distributors.
Cannabis tax money also is earmarked for behavioral health programs, which LaPointe said covers a lot of territory.
“When I say the words behavioral health, I mean it in an all-encompassing way,” said LaPointe. “It includes mental health issues, addiction issues, recovery, harm reduction and trauma support.”
LaPointe was behind legislation that directs the Illinois State Board of Education to assess a school district’s readiness for universal mental health screening of students.
Illinois will be one of 10 states participating in a new program that looks to expand and improve access to coordinated mental health care and substance use services.
