About The Coalition
The Illinois Coalition on Mental Health & Aging was founded in 1996 to improve access to behavioral healthcare and supportive services for older adults with mental health concerns in Illinois. The Coalition became a non-profit organization in 2000.
The Illinois Coalition on Mental Health & Aging is governed by a Board of Directors, who are elected by the members. Meet the Board Members.
We advance our mission through collaborative partnerships to achieve our goals including:
- Promoting awareness about the facts of mental health and aging, dispelling myths, breaking down barriers, and encouraging older adults to pursue options for recovery;
- Providing opportunities for continuing education and training, and disseminating evidence-based interventions and best practices for recovery for older adults; and
- Advocating for public policies, legislation, rules, and integrated healthcare to improve access to behavioral healthcare and supportive services for older adults in Illinois.
Advocacy is urgently needed in response to the Governor’s proposed budget cuts to human services. We must collaborate with and empower persons of all ages who are in need of timely and effective behavioral healthcare, rehabilitation, and substance abuse treatment.
Our voice is stronger when we engage consumers, advocates, and professionals from multiple disciplines across the nation and in Illinois. These organizations include: the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging, the Illinois Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Illinois Aging Services, Inc. Coalition for Substance Use and Aging, Illinois Cognition Resources Network, Behavioral Healthcare Association of Illinois, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Illinois, and regional coalitions, e.g., the Northern Illinois Coalition on Mental Health & Aging.
We support and promote conferences and trainings for consumers and professional in mental health and aging. For example, we co-sponsored a conference May 28, 2014 in Springfield, entitled, “Advancing Aging and Behavioral Health – Demonstrating Proven Practices.” The Conference engaged 82 attendees from the fields of aging and behavioral healthcare.
We value your membership and participation. We urge current members to renew your membership for FY 2016 (July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016). We invite new consumers, advocates, professionals, and local, regional, and statewide organizations to join the Coalition today.
