On September 9, the Cook County Health Office of Behavioral Health convened more than 800 representatives from behavioral health and community organizations across the County at its second Behavioral Health Summit at the UIC Forum.

The theme of this year’s summit, Driving Action to Impact, reflected a shared focus on moving beyond discussion and towards solutions that strengthen partnerships, expand access to care and accelerate meaningful change across Cook County’s behavioral health system. The day began with opening remarks from local leaders, who emphasized both the urgency of the behavioral health crisis and the need for continued collaboration and investment.

“The behavioral health crisis that our country faces should be a paramount concern of every person that lives and works in Cook County,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said. “As federal cuts to Medicaid, public health and substance use programs threaten the services residents rely on locally, Cook County intends to continue investing in access to health care, behavioral health services and the essential supports that keep people healthy and prevent them from falling through the cracks.”

Despite an increasingly challenging federal funding landscape, Cook County expects to continue prioritizing grant opportunities that put resources directly into the hands of community organizations providing critical behavioral health services. Future funding will build on recent successful ARPA-funded initiatives led by Cook County Department of Public Health, including Building Healthier Communities, and Cook County Health Office of Behavioral Health’s Iniciativa Más Fuertes Juntos. 

“Cook County Health has long been committed to expanding access to mental health care, but no single organization can meet this challenge alone,” Cook County Health CEO Dr. Erik Mikaitis said. “Partnership is essential to reaching communities across the County, better aligning and strengthening the services available to residents, and ensuring we can have the greatest possible impact, particularly at a time when resources are increasingly strained.”

“Bringing together these dedicated organizations and leaders across sectors is essential to creating meaningful, lasting change in behavioral health,” said Dr. Tom Nutter, Chief Behavioral Health Officer for the Cook County Health Office of Behavioral Health. “This summit launches the next phase of our work: moving from shared priorities to coordinated action and building on the partnerships, investments and momentum we have created to strengthen the behavioral health system across Cook County.”

After opening remarks, the event transitioned to breakout sessions, with topics that included:

• Strengthening Trust and Engagement in Behavioral Health
• K-12 Schools and Behavioral Health: Creating a Seamless Continuum of Care for Youth
• A Discussion on Circumambulating Substance Use Care
• From Release to Recover: Building Successful Reentry Pathways through Behavioral Health Support

With looming federal Medicaid cuts stemming from H.R. 1 beginning in January 2027, leaders stressed the importance of engaging in policy updates in an afternoon session titled, “HR 1 – How to Prepare for the Medicaid Changes Ahead.”

Kaiser Family Foundation data shows that more than 1 in 3 adults on Medicaid experience mental illness, including 10 percent with a serious mental illness.

“With so many individuals relying on Medicaid coverage to access behavioral health care, the coming changes could have significant implications not only for individuals and families, but for the providers and community organizations working to meet their needs,” said Dr. Jennifer Brothers, Executive Director, Impact Fund and Community Services, Cook County Health Office of Behavioral Health. “The prospect of hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans losing coverage underscores the urgency of building a stronger, more connected behavioral health system and the importance of our collaborative work at the summit.”

The event builds on the progress achieved at the first summit in 2024, held shortly after the establishment of the Cook County Health Office of Behavioral Health (OBH).  Since then, OBH has launched the $44M Stronger Together Initiative, completed a county-wide behavioral health and workforce assessments, established the Cook County Behavioral Health Apprenticeship and Retention Hub, developed a regional behavioral health strategic plan and stood up 11 regional behavioral health collaboratives and workgroups.

OBH recently launched a new website, obh.cookcountyhealth.org, to serve as a central resource for residents and partners to learn about behavioral health resources, initiatives, events, and funding opportunities across Cook County.