Mental Health America of Illinois is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit that is staffed entirely by teams of volunteers dedicated to Changing Minds and Changing Lives all throughout Illinois.
Our ability to continue our important advocacy and programs depends on the support from community members. As volunteers, we know that mental health is vital to overall well-being and that countless people remain silent sufferers to diseases that cannot be seen. Mental health advocacy is a battle that we must face as a united front, which is why advocates like YOU are critically important to help Change Minds, and Change Lives!
In 2016, our volunteers:
- Instituted a quarterly Luncheon and Speaker Series. Our first speaker on May 18, 2016 was the recently appointed CEO of Cook County Department of Corrections, Nneka Jones Tapia, Psy.D, the first mental health professional to serve as a director of the Cook County Jail. Our second speaker on September 21, 2016 was Ric Estrada, president and CEO of Metropolitan Family Services.
- Were instrumental in passing the Public Act 99-0761, which requires private health insurance providers to take clinical issues into consideration before they impose “step-therapy” (fail first) requirements on policy holders.
- Successfully convinced the state to transfer a major children’s mental health program from a failing state agency to another in need to increase the availability of services.
- MHAI’s Public Policy program celebrated its authoring and support of five bills to improve access to mental health services.
- MHAI continues to chair the Mental Health Summit, and our advocacy on children’s mental health has resulted in changes designed to make it easier for children to receive services.
- MHAI will be transferring its microsite, “It Only Takes One,” to Hope For The Day, a suicide prevention organization in Chicago.
Your support and generous contributions will help our volunteers continue to break the stigmas of mental illness and continue to grow our advocacy and programs. Please donate today!