Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation Children's Mental Health Initiative, Building Systems of Care, Community by Community
Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation believes the mental health of children is as important to their overall well-being as their physical health.Since its inception, ILCHF has supported efforts to bring together coordinated and integrated community-based children’s mental health and primary care services.
In 2009, the Foundation launched the Children’s Mental Health Initiative, Building Systems of Care, Community by Community (CMHI).In mid-2010, ILCHF selected and funded the first round of 5 Communities to embark on a 13-month Planning Phase. During this initial Planning Phase, each Community Team was charged with performing a comprehensive assessment of their community’s children’s mental health system. ILCHF challenged each Team to use that information to develop a formal, five year plan to enhance their existing system with a goal of ensuring that all children have the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.The Foundation will invest in those CMHI plans that emphasize the importance of being developed by community-based collaborations, being creative and innovative, and building upon the existing community service systems and programs.
The work of the CMHI-funded communities will assist in helping ILCHF to answer four key evaluation questions about its investments in children’s mental health systems of care:
1.Did children improve following their involvement in the system of care? 2.Are sustainable children’s mental health systems of care being developed in the communities? 3.What adjustments are needed in order to better serve the children and families in their communities; 4. What modifications does ILCHF need to make to ensure future allocations of resources are appropriate and to ensure the systems can be replicated?
Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation, 1200 Jorie Boulevard, Suite 301, Oak Brook, IL 60523 (p) 630.571.2555 (f) 630.571.2566