Grassroots Advocacy

Policy change is one major way we can make a difference in the lives of people living with mental health conditions and their families. NAMI’s legislative and public policy priority is to support Americans affected by mental illness’ opportunities to build better lives. NAMI advocates for an array of issues including:

• Securing better funding for research
• Protecting people’s access to treatment and services
• Attaining mental health parity

We need you to help advocate for mental health in Illinois

How you can help

1. Find out who your legislators are
2. Formulate your specific “ask”
3. Contact them, remembering to keep it short (just mention the bill or idea and a couple sentences why they should support it)

Legislative Links

How to Find Your Legislators

Contact Governor JB Pritzker

Important items to contact your legislators about today:

Support SB 1673; HB 2486
Mental Heath Modernization & Access Improvement Act

2.5 million Illinois children and adults have a mental health condition, but barely 1/3 get treatment. These bills are an innovative plan that will increase access to treatment and address structural rate shortfalls.

Click here to learn more.

Support HB2160
Uniform Prior Authorization form for Medicaid MCOs and Commercial Insurers

This bill would create a task force that would develop a one-page uniform prior authorization (PA) form for prescribers. Currently there are multiple forms for each MCO and insurer. They must also fill out specific forms for different medication classes for each particular patient. It takes a lot of time which reduces time prescribers can spend seeing patients. This bill will help patients get the care they need more and it will help patient safety.

Click here to learn more.

Support SB1633; HB2572
This legislation fills in major treatment gaps in Illinois’ mental health system for children.

It restructures the Individual Care Grant/Family Support Program (ICG/FSP) to streamline eligibility, promote family engagement and enable early treatment. It also requires private insurance coverage of evidence-based early treatment models for psychosis and other serious mental health conditions for youth under 30 to parallel coverage through the public sector and provides fr more robust treatment options under Medicaid for early treatment/prevention.

Click here to learn more.

It’s for our affiliate - not advocacy at this time.