Children's Mental Health Partnership

Board and Commission Details

Contact Name

Allison Nickrent

Contact E-Mail

Allison.Nickrent@illinois.gov

Function

To develop and monitor a Children’s Mental Health Plan containing short-term and long-term recommendations to provide comprehensive, coordinated mental health prevention, early intervention, and treatment services for children from birth through age 18.

Term

For new appointments made pursuant to this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, members shall be appointed for one-year, two-year, or four-year terms, as determined by the Governor, with no more than 9 of the Governor's new or existing appointees serving the same term. Those new appointments serving a one-year or 2-year term may be appointed to 2 additional 4-year terms. If a vacancy occurs in the Partnership membership, the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment for the remainder of the term. The members appointed by the Governor shall be appointed for 4 years with one opportunity for reappointment, except as otherwise provided for in this subsection.

Senate Confirmation

No

Compensation

Expenses

Composition

The Children's Mental Health Partnership shall be comprised of the following members: (1) The Governor or his or her designee. (2) The Attorney General or his or her designee. (3) The Secretary of the Department of Human Services or his or her designee. (4) The State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee. (5) The Director of the Department of Children and Family Services or his or her designee. (6) The Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services or his or her designee. (7) The Director of the Department of Public Health or his or her designee. (8) The Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice or his or her designee. (9) The Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development or his or her designee. (10) The Director of the Criminal Justice Information Authority or his or her designee. (11) One member of the General Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the House. (12) One member of the General Assembly appointed by the President of the Senate. (13) One member of the General Assembly appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate. (14) One member of the General Assembly appointed by the Minority Leader of the House. (15) Up to 25 representatives from the public reflecting a diversity of age, gender identity, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic location, to be appointed by the Governor. Those public members appointed under this paragraph must include, but are not limited to: (A) a family member or individual with livednexperience in the children's mental health system; (B) a child advocate; (C) a community mental health expert, practitioner, or provider; (D) a representative of a statewide association representing a majority of hospitals in the State; (E) an early childhood expert or practitioner; (F) a representative from the K-12 school system; (G) a representative from the healthcare sector; (H) a substance use prevention expert or practitioner, or a representative of a statewide association representing community-based mental health substance use disorder treatment providers in the State; (I) a violence prevention expert or practitioner; (J) a representative from the juvenile justice system; (K) a school social worker; and (L) a representative of a statewide organization representing pediatricians.New composition is effective 1/1/23.

Chair

Two co-chairs appointed by the Governor, one being a representative from the public and one being a representative from the State.

Authority

405 ILCS 49/5


Member Names

Name Member Expiration Member Since Affiliation Appointed By Position Title County
Villivalam, Ram 09/16/2019 Senate President Member Senator
Bruhn, Christina 01/27/2025 05/17/2013 Governor Member Associate Professor of Social Work/Co-Director of Assessment, Aurora University McHenry
Jaworski, Jennifer Statute Ex-officio, Director of Department of Juvenile Justice or designee
Satchwell, Mary 01/23/2025 07/14/2013 Governor Member Cook
White, Marlita 04/07/2027 04/07/2023 Governor Member Cook
Pinkwater, Jennie 10/13/2024 10/13/2023 Governor Member, Cook
Gall, Carol 01/27/2027 01/02/2021 Governor Cook
Rubin, Joel L. 06/05/2027 06/05/2023 Governor Member Cook
Cicchetti, Colleen 07/28/2027 07/28/2023 Governor Trauma, K-12 Education Executive Director, Center for Childhood Resilience, Lurie Children's Hospital Cook
Higgins Alderman, Heather 01/27/2027 04/08/2021 Governor Member Cook
Lightner, Shannon Statute Ex-officio, Director of IDPH or designee
Gieske, Gaylord 09/01/2003 Governor Member, Statewide Children and Family Advocacy Voices for Children Cook
Rallins, Quinn 07/27/2020 Governor Member Cook
Vohra, Sameer, 08/11/2027 08/11/2023 Governor Chair Sangamon
Cohen, Wendy 01/08/2010 Statute Ex-officio, Attorney General or designee
Desai, Reshma Statute Ex-Officio, Illinois Violence Prevention Authority
Connor, Raymond 08/25/2024 08/25/2023 Governor Member, Statewide Mental Health Organization Board President, Mental Health America of Illinois DuPage
James, Alexa 07/30/2020 Governor Member, Community Mental Health Representative Cook
DeWitte, Don 09/16/2019 Senate President Member Senator
Meyer, Ginger L. 01/23/2024 07/20/2020 Governor Member Union
Cole, Shawn Statute Ex-officio, Director of DHFS or designee
Ripley, Carla 04/07/2027 04/07/2023 Governor Member DuPage
Tapia, Nneka 04/23/2021 Governor Member Kendall
Argue-Mason, Paula Kristine 12/14/2025 12/14/2023 Governor Member Cook
Mann, Kim Statute Ex-officio, Director of DCFS or designee
Humphrey, Deborah 07/07/2025 07/03/2013 Governor Member Madison
Freel, Karen 06/16/2025 06/16/2023 Governor Member, Statewide Early Childhood Organization Vice President, Ounce of Prevention Cook
VACANT Governor Member
VACANT Governor Member, Statewide Mental Health Organization
Griffin, Eugene 10/08/2010 Governor Statewide Mental Health Organizations Northwestern University Cook
Goodman, Cynthia 10/13/2027 10/13/2023 Governor Member, school social worker Cook
Clark, Betsy 02/03/2025 02/01/2004 Governor Member, Statewide Juvenile Justice Organizations Cook
Welter, David 07/26/2019 Speaker of the House Member Representative
Durbin, Andrea 01/01/2018 Governor Member, Child and Family Providers
Wolff, Paula 01/30/2025 02/01/2004 Governor Member, Juvenile Justice Organization Metropolis 2020 Cook
Betz, Lisa Statute Ex-officio, DHS Secretary or designee
Guerrero-Cuellar, Rep. Angelica 09/03/2021 Speaker of the House Member Representative
Burnett, Tiffany Statute Ex-offcio, State Superintendent of Education or designee
Davis, Will Speaker of the House Member Representative Cook
Windhorst, Patrick 07/26/2019 Speaker of the House Member Representative
Fine, Sen. Laura 01/08/2025 08/25/2023 Senate President Member Senator
Syverson, Dave 09/16/2019 Senate President Member Senator