ILCHF funds children’s mental health projects that support children’s mental health through prevention, early intervention, treatment and system building work.

Mental Health Philosophy:

Children’s mental health is as critical as their physical health in achieving overall wellbeing. Healthy social and emotional development is a necessary underpinning for learning, school success, relationship development and positive interactions with their environment. Children’s mental health is built on a foundation that depends on their family, community, and child-serving system’s ability to support them.

Mental Health Initiatives

The Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI 1.0)

In 2009, the ILCHF Board of Directors committed to a focus of building the Illinois mental health system’s capacity to provide effective and integrated services to children, at the earliest stages of distress. CMHI planning and implementation grants were awarded to four communities across Illinois. The projects focused on implementing mental health screening in school and primary care settings, and well as evidence based clinical interventions and general development of child serving systems of care. Evaluation findings indicate that the communities have largely been able to sustain the services that were initiated with ILCHF grant funding. Mental health services are more effective than those previously available in the community, and care is both more coordinated and accessible. CMHI 1.0 is an eight-year initiative, 2010 – 2018 representing a total investment by ILCHF of more than $12 million.

Children receiving mental health screening in
schools or primary care settings in 2016

Healthy Minds, Healthy Children, Healthy Chicago (H3)

The H3 project focuses on the integration of behavioral health services in the primary care setting within two Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) in the City of Chicago. One site is located on the Southside of Chicago in the Englewood community and the other is on the Westside of Chicago in the West Town community. Funding began in October of 2013 and will conclude in December of 2018. ILCHF will invest up to two million dollars in each community over approximately five years. H3 services focus on mental health screening, early and brief mental health interventions and linkage to longer-term mental health care, as well as community-based resources. H3 is a five-year initiative, 2013-2018 representing a total investment by ILC HF of approximately $5 million.

Children receiving mental health screening in
schools or primary care settings in 2016

Children’s Mental Health Access Expansion Grants 

The CMAG grants focus on increasing child and family access to mental health supports by building local systems to provide more, and more effective mental health care. Projects build upon the partnership of local child serving systems to work together to implement integrated services within settings that children and families are most comfortable. These projects are very diverse in scope and strategy as a response to the unique needs and resources available in each community. Data is being collected to determine the scope of the impact of the CMAG projects in expanding access to effective care. CMAG is a 2-year initiative, January 2017 – December 2018.

Lessons Learned with Our Grantees

ILCHF partners with grantees to learn the most effective ways to support children’s mental health in each unique community. ILCHF is committed to being a learning organization and to supporting our grantees in contributing to the knowledge base of children’s mental health.