(The Center Square) – The state of Illinois is launching a portal for families seeking youth mental health services and care.
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.