50 ILCS 754/25

(50 ILCS 754/25)

Sec. 25. State goals.

(a) 9-1-1 PSAPs, emergency services dispatched through 9-1-1 PSAPs, and the mobile mental and behavioral health service established by the Division of Mental Health must coordinate their services so that the State goals listed in this Section are achieved. Appropriate mobile response service for mental and behavioral health emergencies shall be available regardless of whether the initial contact was with 9-8-8, 9-1-1 or directly with an emergency service dispatched through 9-1-1. Appropriate mobile response services must:

(1) whenever possible, ensure that individuals experiencing mental or behavioral health crises are diverted from hospitalization or incarceration and are instead linked with available appropriate community services;

(2) include the option of on-site care if that type of care is appropriate and does not override the care decisions of the individual receiving care. Providing care in the community, through methods like mobile crisis units, is encouraged. If effective care is provided on site, and if it is consistent with the care decisions of the individual receiving the care, further transportation to other medical providers is not required by this Act;

(3) recommend appropriate referrals for available community services if the individual receiving on-site care is not already in a treatment relationship with a service provider or is unsatisfied with their current service providers. The referrals shall take into consideration waiting lists and copayments, which may present barriers to access; and

(4) subject to the care decisions of the individual receiving care, provide transportation for any individual experiencing a mental or behavioral health emergency. Transportation shall be to the most integrated and least restrictive setting appropriate in the community, such as to the individual's home or chosen location, community crisis respite centers, clinic settings, behavioral health centers, or the offices of particular medical care providers with existing treatment relationships to the individual seeking care.

(b) Prioritize requests for emergency assistance. 9-1-1 PSAPs, emergency services dispatched through 9-1-1 PSAPs, and the mobile mental and behavioral health service established by the Division of Mental Health must provide guidance for prioritizing calls for assistance and maximum response time in relation to the type of emergency reported.

(c) Provide appropriate response times. From the time of first notification, 9-1-1 PSAPs, emergency services dispatched through 9-1-1 PSAPs, and the mobile mental and behavioral health service established by the Division of Mental Health must provide the response within response time appropriate to the care requirements of the individual with an emergency.

(d) Require appropriate mobile mental health relief provider training. Mobile mental health relief providers must have adequate training to address the needs of individuals experiencing a mental or behavioral health emergency. Adequate training at least includes:

(1) training in de-escalation techniques;

(2) knowledge of local community services and supports; and

(3) training in respectful interaction with people experiencing mental or behavioral health crises, including the concepts of stigma and respectful language.

(e) Require minimum team staffing. The Division of Mental Health, in consultation with the Regional Advisory Committees created in Section 40, shall determine the appropriate credentials for the mental health providers responding to calls, including to what extent the mobile mental health relief providers must have certain credentials and licensing, and to what extent the mobile mental health relief providers can be peer support professionals.

(f) Require training from individuals with lived experience. Training shall be provided by individuals with lived experience to the extent available.

(g) Adopt guidelines directing referral to restrictive care settings. Mobile mental health relief providers must have guidelines to follow when considering whether to refer an individual to more restrictive forms of care, like emergency room or hospital settings.

(h) Specify regional best practices. Mobile mental health relief providers providing these services must do so consistently with best practices, which include respecting the care choices of the individuals receiving assistance. Regional best practices may be broken down into sub-regions, as appropriate to reflect local resources and conditions. With the agreement of the impacted EMS Regions, providers of emergency response to physical emergencies may participate in another EMS Region for mental and behavioral response, if that participation shall provide a better service to individuals experiencing a mental or behavioral health emergency.

(i) Adopt system for directing care in advance of an emergency. The Division of Mental Health shall select and publicly identify a system that allows individuals who voluntarily chose to do so to provide confidential advanced care directions to individuals providing services under this Act. No system for providing advanced care direction may be implemented unless the Division of Mental Health approves it as confidential, available to individuals at all economic levels, and non-stigmatizing. The Division of Mental Health may defer this requirement for providing a system for advanced care direction if it determines that no existing systems can currently meet these requirements.

(j) Train dispatching staff. The personnel staffing 9-1-1, 3-1-1, or other emergency response intake systems must be provided with adequate training to assess whether coordinating with 9-8-8 is appropriate.

(k) Establish protocol for emergency responder coordination. The Division of Mental Health shall establish a protocol for mobile mental health relief providers, law enforcement, and fire and ambulance services to request assistance from each other, and train these groups on the protocol.

(l) Integrate law enforcement. The Division of Mental Health shall provide for law enforcement to request mobile mental health relief provider assistance whenever law enforcement engages an individual appropriate for services under this Act. If law enforcement would typically request EMS assistance when it encounters an individual with a physical health emergency, law enforcement shall similarly dispatch mental or behavioral health personnel or medical transportation when it encounters an individual in a mental or behavioral health emergency.

(Source: P.A. 102-580, eff. 1-1-22; 103-105, eff. 6-27-23.)